For Mary Karen Read, see Virginia Tech massacre.

Mary Read (d.o.b. unknown – 1721) was an English pirate.

Early life

Mary Read was born in Plymouth, Devon, England in the mid to late 17th century, to the widow of a sea captain.

Her date of birth is in dispute among historians because of a reference to the "Peace of Ryswick" by her contemporary biographer Captain Charles Johnson in A General History of the Pyrates. He most likely made an error, intending to refer to the "Treaty of Utrecht." The discrepency would place her birth either c.1670 or c.1690. It is more likely that she was born the latter, which would mean she was the very typical age of 28 at the time of her piracy.

Mary's mother began to disguise illegitimately born Mary as a boy after the death of Mary's older, legitimately born brother, Mark. This was done in order to continue to receive financial support from his paternal grandmother. The grandmother was apparently fooled, and Read and her mother lived on the inheritance into her teenage years. Still dressed as a boy, Read then found work as a footboy, then soon found employment aboard a ship.

After learning the harsh realities of the sea life, she jumped ship and joined the British military, allied with Dutch and Austrian forces (again - this could have been during the Nine Years War or more likely during the War of the Spanish Succession). Read, in male guise, proved herself through battle, but she fell in love with a Flemish soldier. She dressed as a woman for the only time in her life to marry the soldier. They used their military commission & gifts from intrigued brethren in arms as a funding source to open an inn named "The Three Horseshoes" near Breda Castle in The Netherlands.

Upon her husband's early death, Read resumed male dress and military service in Holland. With peace, there was no room for advancement, so she quit and boarded a ship bound for the West Indies.

Becoming a pirate

Read's ship was taken by pirates, and whether forced or by choice, she joined them. She took the King's pardon c.1718, and took a commission to privateer. Her ship was taken by the notorious pirate John "Calico Jack" Rackham and his companion, the female pirate Anne Bonny.

Still dressed as a man, Read was soon recruited to Rackham's crew where she became familiar with Bonny. She and Bonny became close companions. Rackham allowed her to stay on as a member of his crew even after finding out that she was, indeed, female. Eventually, Read and Bonny would wear mens clothes while attacking another ship, and women's clothes at other times.

Battles

Read fell in love with one of the sea artists (carpenter or navigator) who had been forced to join Rackham's crew. He was due to fight a duel with an experienced pirate he had rubbed the wrong way. Read, knowing that her beloved stood no chance against him, started a quarrel with the older man and challenged him to a duel that would take place before the pending duel with the artist.

During the subsequent duel the older man stumbled during a thrust. Legend has it that Read ripped her shirt open, revealing her gender. Supposedly, in the moment of the pirate's surprise & hesitation, she quickly grabbed his cutlass and killed him. It is agreed among historians that she prevailed in the death match, and her lover showed up on time for his duel.

Capture and imprisonment

In October 1720, the troops of pirate hunter Captain Jonathan Barnet took them by surprise, and captured Rackham and his crew on behalf of the governor of Jamaica. Rackham and the majority of his crew were drunk, and didn't put up much resistance, many being passed out in the ship's hold. Read and Bonny did resist, but were outgunned.

Rackham and his crew were sentenced to hang for acts of piracy, as were Read and Bonny. However, the females escaped the noose when they revealed they were both "quick with child" ("Pleading the belly"), so they received a temporary stay of execution. Read was believed to have been pregnant by the artist, whom she considered her legal husband before God. Bonny was believed to have been pregnant by Rackham.

Read died in prison in April 1721, by fever possibly during childbirth, but there is no record of burial of her baby. Bonny disappeared from the historical record, presumed to have lived a long life in Colonial America.

References in pop culture

• Mary Read's life is briefly outlined in a short story about another female pirate, The Widow Ching by the Argentine writer Borges.
• Mary Read is mentioned in Adam and the Ants' song "Five Guns West", from their hit 1981 album "Prince Charming".
• Mary Read and Anne Bonnie are prominently featured in the Off-Broadway play A Pirate's Lullaby.
• Read and Bonnie are main characters in the webcomic Sea Monsters by Gwendolyn Meer.
• Read and Bonnie are featured in the 11th movie of the Detective Conan anime series, Detective Conan: Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure.
• Bonnie and Read are featured in Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
• The 2002 board game Pirate's Cove, published by Days of Wonder, contains the six legendary pirate cards one of which is Anne Bonnie and Mary Read.
• The singer Duncan McFarlane has written a song called 'Mary Read' which recounts her life.
• The Italian band Secret Sphere has a song, "Under the Flag of Mary Read" on their album A Time Never Come

See also

• Anne Bonny
• Cross-dressing
• Jack Rackham

References

External links

• 
• Mary Read
• Mary Read article at woa.tv
• 
• Pirate Spirit: The Adventures of Anne Bonney