Are you a female thinking about a career in pirating? Fine choice. You'll enjoy the adventure of the open seas and your eye patch will finally be en vogue. As for qualifications, you should have no aversion to a little plundering or swashbuckling and being tough as nails is a must. Also, according to history, it can't hurt to be born out of wedlock and frequently disguise yourself as a man. If you're looking for some more pointers, take a lesson from established female pirates.
Anne Bonny: c. 1698-?
Anne was born out of wedlock to a scandalized lawyer and his maid. When her parents' affair was discovered, the family moved to Charleston, S.C. Anne’s adventurous spirit didn't allow her to stay on the Charleston plantation for very long. By age 16, she married the amateur pirate James Bonny against her father’s will and was disowned. James Bonny had been hoping for a dowry that included her father’s land, but when it was clear that Anne’s ties to her father had been cut, the two moved to New Providence Island (now Nassau) in the Bahamas.
James Bonny, as it turned out, was not the ideal husband. He managed to combine contradictory traits: He was ineffectual and lazy but also dishonest and sneaky. Shortly after arriving on the island, Anne met the pirate captain Calico Jack Rackam and sparks flew. Anne soon left Bonny and she and Rackam eloped around 1716. When Rackam decided to go back to sea, Anne refused to wait on shore for him, dressed as a man and went along.
Anne turned out to be quite a pirate. She raided ships with Calico Jack and his second in command, Mary Read, another female pirate disguised as a man. Anne showed particular bravery in their escapades and was rarely left behind when the crew raided a ship. As her reputation grew she became feared by her victims and her own crew. It was probably because of the growing fame of Anne and other pirates that the British government decided to put its foot down.
Anne’s last-known battle came in Oct. 1720 when British pirate hunter Captain Barnet overtook the ship. The men on board considered it futile to fight and instead hid in the ship’s hold. Furious at their cowardly behavior, Anne and Mary Read were among the only crew members who stayed above deck and fought. In the end, however, the entire crew was captured and sentenced to death. Anne, who was pregnant at the time "plead her belly" and was pardoned because English law forbade executing pregnant women. She served a short jail sentence but was soon released and disappeared into obscurity.
More Female Pirates
Mary Read
Grace O'Malley
Lai Choi San
Sources Used
Robert C. Ritchie. "Pirate." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006. World Book, Inc. 1 Mar. 2006
Charles Johnson. "A General History of the Pyrates." Arthur Ransom Literary Pages 2001. 1 Mar. 2006, http://www.arthur-ransome.org/ar/literary/pyrates.htm
"Anne Bonny." 1 Mar. 2006 http://members.tripod.com/cathreese/DefiantWomen/pirates/abonny_mread.html
