Anne Bonny, 8 March 1700 – possibly 25 April 1782
Pirate of the Caribbeanvia Wikipedia: While in the Bahamas, Anne Bonny began mingling with pirates at the local drinking establishments, and met the pirate John “Calico Jack” Rackham, with whom she had an affair. While Rackham and many other pirates were enjoying the King’s pardon in the New Providence, James dragged Anne before Gov. Rogers to demand she be flogged for adultery and returned to him. There was even an offer for Rackham to buy her in a divorce-by-purchase, but Anne refused to be “bought and sold like cattle.” She was sentenced to the flogging, but later Anne and Rackham escaped to live together as pirates.
Bonny did not disguise herself as a man in order to join Rackham’s crew aboard the Revenge as is often claimed. In fact, she and Mary Read helped Rackham steal the sloop at anchor in Nassau harbour and set off to sea, putting together a crew and taking several prizes. She took part in combat alongside the males, and the accounts describing her exploits present her as competent, effective in combat, and someone who gained the respect of her fellow pirates. She and Mary Read’s name and gender were, however, known to all from the start, including Gov. Rogers, who named them in a “pirates wanted” circular published in the continent’s only newspaper, the Boston News-Letter.
Over the next several months, she and Rackham saw quite a few successes as pirates, capturing many ships, and bringing in an abundance of treasure.
Although Bonny is one of the best-known pirates in history, she never commanded a ship of her own. Her renown derives from the fact that she was a rarity: a female pirate.
