Now, I wouldn’t really blame you if you’ve never heard of Anne Bonny. She was an 18th Century Pirate, and one of the few women known to have taken up that particular line of work, and her reputation for treachery was significant.

She was born in Ireland sometime in the late 1600’s, the illegitimate child of her fathers maid.  Her appearance led to some domestic problems between her father and his real wife at the time, probably one reason Mrs. Huntington has never seen fit to let me hire her a maid.   Anyway, he was forced to give up a legal practice in shame as a result of the scandal, after which he emigrated to America with his maid and new daughter, Anne.  He managed to build another practice, and purchased a large plantation in Charleston, South Carolina.

 Legend has it that she fell in love with, and married, a Sea Captain at the age of 16.  Apparently, it turned out to be a weak relationship and Anne eventually found a way to escape by meeting  ”Calico Jack” who happened to be a pirate.  Captain Jack Rackham snuck Anne aboard his ship dressed as a man.

 The stories go that she never hesitated to prove herself equal to the boys.  In fact, most accounts indicate that they were terrified to death of her.

Her pirating days came to an end in 1720 when Calico Jack’s ship was boarded by troops off Jamaica.  Condemned to death, Anne received a temporary reprieve after “pleading the belly”.  That was an old English common law which gave women a short reprieve from execution while waiting for a late term child to be born.

And that’s about the last that  was heard of Anne Bonny.  There’s no record of her execution, pardon or release.  She basically just disappeared with a lot of speculation.  Some claimed that a ransom was paid for her release, while other stories hold of a pirate rescue.  It’s something we’ll never know.

Anne Bonny
Illustration circa 1725

Phineous Zivick Huntinton
July 7, 2007