Anne Bonny
Anne Bonny was an Irish pirate born in Kinsale, County Cork, who gained notoriety in the early 18th century for her adventurous life at sea. Daughter of a wealthy lawyer, she moved to South Carolina with her family due to a scandal surrounding her birth. After marrying James Bonny, a part-time pirate, she left him to become the lover of the infamous pirate John "Calico Jack" Rackham. Disguising herself as a man to avoid the superstitions of her male counterparts, Anne became known for her fierce temper and exceptional skills with weapons, earning her fame alongside fellow pirate Mary Read, who also disguised herself as a man.
In October 1720, Bonny and her crew were captured, and although her companions were sentenced to hang, both she and Read escaped execution by claiming they were pregnant. While Read reportedly died in prison, Bonny's fate is less clear; she disappeared from the historical record following her trial, leading to speculation about her possible reprieve. Throughout history, Anne Bonny has been remembered as a symbol of female defiance and adventure, becoming one of the most well-known female pirates of her time. Her legacy raises questions about gender roles and rebellion during an era when women faced significant societal constraints.
Anne Bonny
- Born: c. 1697
- Birthplace: Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland
- Died: After 1720
- Place of death: Unknown
Irish pirate
Major offenses: Piracy, assault, and theft on the high seas
Active: Early 1700’s-1720
Locale: Around Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and throughout the Caribbean
Sentence: Death by hanging; temporarily suspended because of her pregnancy; no record exists of her actual execution
Early Life
Born in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland, Anne Cormac, later known as Anne Bonny (BAH-nee), was the daughter of a wealthy lawyer and the family’s maid. Although few historical facts are known, some sort of scandal resulted, and Anne, her father, and her mother sailed to the United States and settled in South Carolina. Anne met and married James Bonny, an occasional pirate, and they moved to New Providence (now Nassau) in the Bahamas. Anne subsequently left for sea with another pirate, John “Calico Jack” Rackham, becoming his mistress. She maintained a disguise as a man and called herself Bonn because male pirates considered it bad luck to sail with a woman.
Pirating Career
Bonny was reported to have had a violent temper, and there are many tales of her courage and daring, as well as her proficiency with sword and pistols, which gained her much notoriety. During this time, she discovered another woman, Mary Read, who was disguised as a man and sailed with the crew. She became friends with Read, and both built reputations as daring and dangerous pirates. The pirates were pursued at the time by the governor of the Bahamas, Captain Woodes Rogers, who was commissioned by the British government to rid the Caribbean of the pirate stronghold in New Providence. In late October of 1720, Captain Jonathan Barnet of the British Navy captured Rackham’s ship and took the crew captive, including Bonny. They were taken to Jamaica, under Governor Nicholas Lawes, to stand trial and pleaded not guilty.
Legal Action and Outcome
Bonney and Read, along with Rackham’s entire crew, were found guilty and sentenced to hang. All were hanged except for the two women, who “pled their bellies” because they were pregnant—it was illegal to execute a pregnant woman at the time. While Read apparently died in prison, Bonny simply disappeared, and no more was heard of her. She was rumored to have received a reprieve, and there is no record of her execution.
Impact
Among a number of female pirates who masqueraded as men, Anne Bonny and Mary Read were perhaps the best known. Bonny might have been an early feminist, rebelling against the oppressive role of women at the time, or simply a wild soul seeking adventure. She was known as courageous, bloodthirsty, and daring and became a pirate legend.
Bibliography
Canfield, R. “Something’s Mizzen: Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Polly, and Female Counter Roles on the Imperialist Stage.” South Atlantic Review 66, no. 2 (2001): 45-63. Explores the roles of Bonny and other women who dressed and fought as men and as pirates in the context of imperialist ambitions in the Caribbean.
Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. New York: Random House, 1995. Contains notes on historical sources, trial transcripts, and records. Discusses the case of Bonny and describes the life and times both of women who went to sea on merchant ships or with the navy and of the few who became pirates.
Defoe, Daniel. A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover, 1999. This is a reprint of the classic work from 1725 written about pirates, including Bonny, and based on both historical records and unsubstantiated information.