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#OTD April 28, is the 300th anniversary of the death of the female #pirate, Mary Read, (c. 1685 - Apr 28, 1721) from jail fever in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Allow me to offer you a thread about her life in her honor. 1/
From The General History of the Pyrates (GHP): Her mother was a widow left alone with an infant son who died. She then had an affair with a sailor, which resulted in Mary (1685, England). She decides to pass Mary off as the infant son to keep her husband’s allowance. 2/
Mary is raised as a boy until she’s about 13 years old (~1698). Her grandparents die and allowance ends. Her mother tells her she’s actually a girl and must now go into domestic service. Mary balks at this, runs away, resumes her male identity, and joins the Royal Navy. 3/
After some time (unspecified) she lands in Flanders and joins the British Army. She falls in love with a soldier, reveals herself, and they marry. Tragically he dies. She rejoins the army in male disguise but is discharged because in her grief she cannot perform well. 4/
She continues her male disguise and joins a merchant ship for an unspecified amount of time. They are attacked by pirates and she is forced to join their crew. She’s a pirate for a time until they sail in Nassau, the notorious pirate city, in 1720. 5/
The timeline suggests she fought on the European continent during the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714). Possibly spent 2-3 yes in Royal Navy before. Marriage, return to the army, time on a merchant ship accounts for 6-year gap between the war and her arrival in Nassau. 6/
Another theory! 1707: A group of 42 women in Jamaica sign a petition begging Queen Anne to pardon their husbands, all of whom are pirates set to be executed. One of the signatures reads MARY READ. (Source: British Library Add MS) 7/
1707 would make her approx 22 y/o. If she was a pirate’s wife in Jamaica, she’d have had loads of exposure to the life. Likelihood is she’d have been financially ruined as a maritime widow BUT perhaps she was able to become a pirate and end up in Nassau? 8/
ANYWAYS! In Nassau she joins Jack Rackham’s crew and meets Anne Bonny. They are instant friends. Were they lovers? No evidence. But maybe? GHP says Anne fell in love with Mary (disguised as a man) only to find out she was a woman. Anne was “disappointed” by this. 9/
However, governor of Bahamas, Woodes Rogers, had issued proclamation for the arrest of the pirate “John Rackum” &female pirates “Ann Fulford alias Bonn, and Mary Read”. So this means everyone already knew Mary was a woman right as she set sail. (Source: Proclamation OCT 1720) 10/
According to GHP Mary marries a fellow crew member, which might also be some evidence against the idea they may have been lovers. But we’ll never know! (This theory didn’t come into existence until 20th century). 11/
She and Anne are successful in their short career (August - November 1720) and become infamous as fierce, violent pirates who swear more than any man while they bear their breasts for all to see. Quite intimidating to their enemies, to say the least! 12/
Eventually are captured by pirate hunter Jonathan Barnett at Negril Bay, Jamaica. Rackham &co are too drunk to fight so he orders everyone below deck. Mary orders them back on board: “If there’s a man among ye, ye’ll come up and fight like the man ye are to be!” 13/
There are captured, unfortunately. In November, 1720, Mary is found guilty and sentenced to hang. In a twist she “pleads her belly” aka, says she’s pregnant. Sure enough, it’s true and she’s granted a stay of execution. This is common for condemned pregnant women. 14/
Pregnancy was generally confirmed when she “quickened” or felt movement. This meant she’d have been several months pregnant, which tells us she likely became pregnant before they set sail. Imagine being a bad-ass fighting pirate while pregnant in the 18th century! 15/
Unfortunately, Mary would never leave her prison cell in Spanish Town, Jamaica. She contracted gaol fever, also known as typhus. Our timeline tells us that she was probably about to give birth and may have also had severe complications on top of her illness. 16/
Mary died on April 28, 1721 in the Spanish Town jail. Records show that she was buried in Jamaica’s St. Catherine’s Parish. There are no records of what happened to her child (or if she gave birth at all). 17/
But as we know, her memory lives! Thanks to the publication of The Trials of Jack Rackham ( @britishlibrary National Archives, @librarycongress etc) and A General History of the Pyrates, she became cemented in historical memory and continues to be a source of fascination today 18/
We’ll never know the whole truth about her early life and origins of her pirate career, but her life proves that women were just as capable fighters and mariners (pirates!) as men. She is also proof that there WERE women at sea and likely many more than we’ll ever know. 19/
Mary Read, 1685 - April 28, 1721
