Anne Bonny: Real Pirate and Captain Jack Lover!

Woman were long believed to be bad luck on a ship, but it would have been your bad luck had you crossed Anne Bonny, one of the most feared women on the seas in the 1700's.

Anne was born sometimes in the late 1600's to early 1700's, the result of an affair between her father (a lawyer), and her mother, his serving maid.

Anne and her parents would move to South Carolina, near a large shipping community after the affair was found out, and her father had to leave Ireland in shame.

She was introduced into polite society as his legitimate daughter, and was expected to some day settle down and marry a man of her father's choosing.

However, when Anne's mother died in her teen years, all of that seemed to change. Anne took over duties at the plantation, and began to develop a reputation for a fierce temper.

Anne craving adventure and danger would come to court a man of the sea behind her father's back, one James Bonny. Whom she married against her father's will, after which she was disowned, because of that, the couple moved to New Providence. New Providence was a 'pirate's paradise,' and was full of pirates and their paramours, which was a literal paradise for Anne (wikipedia).

However, Anne's husband James soon began to bore and disappoint her when he changed his career to informer for the Governor, turning in fellow pirates, Anne's friends.

Chidley Bayard soon entered Anne's life as her lover. That didn't last long either, he one took her to a ball, and introduced her to the sister in law of a Governor Lawes of Jamaica. The woman soon made several snide remarks, and Anne replied with her usual short temper, costing the rude woman several of her teeth. Which would in turn end her relationship with Bayard.

Anne, ever in need of adventure soon came to meet one Captain Jack Rackham, or as he was known, Calico Jack.

Jack was known to many women for his good looks, and charm, plus he was a pirate, so when he invited Anne to come along with him on the seas, Anne didn't give her husband a second thought, she left with Captain Jack.

She disguised herself as a man, and headed out onto her great adventures on the sea. Anne was a force to be reckoned with, her pistol and cutlass ensuring her respect, and ruthless reputation. The topping of this reputation came when she gutted one man on board for crossing her.

Anne was found out when she became pregnant with Jack's child, and they agreed she should go ashore to have the child. Anne did, but the child did not live, which left Anne heartbroken.

When Jack returned for Anne and the child, he was shocked at the decline in Anne, and took her back to New Providence, giving up piracy for Anne, working instead under a King's pardon as a privateer on commission.

It was during this time that Anne would discover a plot to kill Governor Woodes Roger, whom she had meet during her marriage to Bonny. Anne would save his life by warning him of the plot, a whim that would serve her well.

Bonny, hearing of Jack and Anne, and their affair, had them arrested for piracy, and they were taken in the middle of the night to the Governor. Bonny wanted them both to hang, but Governor Rogers spared their lives, and gave them a 'lineate' sentence.

Anne was to be flogged and 'returned' to her husband, and Jack was to go free. Of course, Anne was angry at this treatment, and would run away with Jack, back to their life of piracy.

For years they lived on in this fashion, and their notoriety grew. It grew even more so with the second woman on board of Jack's ship, Mary Read, who shared Anne's temperament.

In 1720, their adventure would end when Governor Lawes of Jamaica (the one with the before punch sister in law) heard of them, and sent out an attack to bring them to trial. They were not prepared for the attack, and did not fair well as all the men were drunk, leaving only Mary and Anne to defend the boat.

It is said that both women shot several of their own crew members for not fighting during the attack!

They were all sentenced to hang, but were given a stay of execution because Mary and Anne were pregnant. Mary died in in prison, along with her child. Anne survived, and spoke to Jack once more before his hanging, when she spoke to him, she said, "I'm sorry, Jack, but if you had fought like a man you would not now be about to die like a dog. Do straighten yourself up."

Anne was not executed, and it is not known for sure what happened to her, or her child. There are many rumors on the subject, some believe she ran off with a lover, or perhaps her father came to her aid. A popular theory is that a large band of pirates came to her aide (piratesinfo).

Anne's fate is a mystery, but her life was legend.