HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Anne Bonny (8 March 1697 – disappeared April 1721), sometimes Anne Bonney, was an Irish pirate operating in the Caribbean, and one of the few female pirates in recorded history. What little that is known of her life comes largely from
Captain Charles Johnson Captain Charles Johnson was the British author of the 1724 book '' A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates'', whose identity remains a mystery. No record exists of a captain by this name, and "Captain Charles ...
's 1724 book '' A General History of the Pyrates''. Bonny was born in Ireland around 1700 and moved to London and then to the
Province of Carolina Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...
when she was about 10 years old. Around 1718 she married sailor James Bonny, assumed his last name, and moved with him to Nassau in the Bahamas, a sanctuary for pirates. It was there that she met
Calico Jack Rackham John Rackham (26 December 168218 November 1720), commonly known as Calico Jack, was an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and in Cuba during the early 18th century. His nickname was derived from the calico clothing that he wore, whil ...
and became his pirate partner and lover. She was captured alongside Rackham and
Mary Read Mary Read (1685 – 28 April 1721), also known as Mark Read, was an English pirate. She and Anne Bonny were two famous female pirates from the 18th century, and among the few women known to have been convicted of piracy at the height of the " ...
in October 1720. All three were sentenced to death, but Bonny and Read had their executions stayed because both of them were pregnant. Read died of a fever in jail in April 1721 (likely due to complications from the pregnancy), but Bonny's fate is unknown.


Early life

Bonny's birthdate is speculated to be around 1700. She was said to be born in Old Head of Kinsale, in
County Cork, Ireland County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns ar ...
. She was the daughter of servant woman Mary Brennan and Brennan's employer, lawyer William Cormac. She was born to Mary Brennan because following the illness of Cormac's wife she was moved down to her mother-in-law's home which was a few miles down the road. While the wife of William Cormac was ill and at another home, William stayed to look over the family home where he then had an affair with one of the maids, Mary Brennan, who then birthed Anne Bonny. Anne Bonny was seen as one of the legitimate issues from William Cormac.''Legendary Pirates The Life and Legacy of Anne Bonny'' . Charles River Editors , 2018. Official records and contemporary letters dealing with her life are scarce, and most modern knowledge stems from Charles Johnson's '' A General History of the Pyrates'' (a collection of pirate biographies, the first edition partly accurate, the second much embellished). Bonny's father William Cormac first moved to London to get away from his wife's family, and he began dressing Anne as a boy and calling her "Andy". When Cormac's wife discovered William had taken in his illegitimate daughter and was bringing the child up to be a lawyer's clerk and dressing her as a boy, she stopped giving him an allowance. Cormac then moved to the
Province of Carolina Province of Carolina was a province of England (1663–1707) and Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America and the Caribbean from 1663 until partitioned into North and South on January 24, 1712. It is part of present-day Alaba ...
, taking along Anne and her mother, his former serving girl. Bonny's father abandoned the original "Mc" prefix of their family name to blend more easily into the Charles Town citizenry. At first, the family had a rough start in their new home, but Cormac's knowledge of the law and ability to buy and sell goods soon financed a townhouse and eventually a plantation just out of town. Bonny's mother died when she was 12. Her father attempted to establish himself as an attorney but did not do well. Eventually, he joined the more profitable merchant business and accumulated a substantial fortune. It is recorded that Bonny had red hair and was considered a "good catch" but may have had a fiery temper; at age 13, she supposedly stabbed a servant girl with a knife. She married a poor sailor and small-time pirate named James Bonny. James hoped to win possession of his father-in-law's estate, but Bonny was disowned by her father. Anne's father did not approve of James Bonny as a husband for his daughter, and he kicked Anne out of their house. There is a story that Bonny set fire to her father's plantation in retaliation, but no evidence exists in support. However, it is known that sometime between 1714 and 1718, she and James Bonny moved to Nassau, on
New Providence Island New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It is the location of the national capital city of Nassau, whose boundaries are coincident with the island; it had a population of 24 ...
, known as a sanctuary for English pirates called the Republic of Pirates. Many inhabitants received a King's Pardon or otherwise evaded the law. It is also recorded that, after the arrival of Governor
Woodes Rogers Woodes Rogers ( 1679 – 15 July 1732) was an English sea captain, privateer, slave trader and, from 1718, the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is known as the captain of the vessel that rescued marooned Alexander Selkirk, whose ...
in the summer of 1718, James Bonny became an informant for the governor. James Bonny would report to Governor Rogers about the pirates in the area, which resulted in a multitude of these pirates being arrested. Anne disliked the work her husband did for Governor Rogers.


Rackham's partner

While in the Bahamas, Bonny began mingling with pirates in the taverns. She met John "Calico Jack" Rackham, and he became her lover. Rackham subsequently offered money to her husband James if he would divorce her, but her husband refused and threatened to beat Rackham. She and Rackham escaped the island together, and she became a member of his crew. She disguised herself as a man on the ship, and only Rackham and
Mary Read Mary Read (1685 – 28 April 1721), also known as Mark Read, was an English pirate. She and Anne Bonny were two famous female pirates from the 18th century, and among the few women known to have been convicted of piracy at the height of the " ...
were aware that she was a woman until it became clear that she was pregnant. Rackham then landed her in Cuba where she gave birth to a son. She then rejoined Rackham and continued the pirate life, having divorced her husband and married Rackham while at sea. Bonny, Rackham, and Read stole the ship ''William'', then at anchor in Nassau harbor, and put out to sea. Rackham and the two women recruited a new crew. Their crew spent years in Jamaica and the surrounding area. Bonny took part in combat alongside the men, and Governor Rogers named her in a "Wanted Pirates" circular published in '' The Boston News-Letter''. When Bonny told Read that she was a woman because she was attracted to her, Read revealed that she too was a woman. To abate the jealousy of Rackham, who suspected romantic involvement between the two, Bonny told him that Read was a woman. Speculation over the relationship between Bonny and Read led to images depicting the two in battle together. A victim of the pirates, Dorothy Thomas, left a description of Read and Bonny: They "wore men's jackets, and long trousers, and handkerchiefs tied about their heads: and ... each of them had a machete and pistol in their hands and they cursed and swore at the men to murder her orothy Thomas" Thomas also recorded that she knew that they were women, "from the largeness of their breasts."


Capture and imprisonment

In October 1720, Rackham and his crew were attacked by a sloop captained by Jonathan Barnet under a commission from Nicholas Lawes, Governor of Jamaica. Most of Rackham's pirates put up little resistance, as many of them were too drunk to fight. They were taken to Jamaica where they were convicted and sentenced by Governor Lawes to be hanged. When Anne Bonny was being tried in Jamaica, many of the gentlemen planters of Jamaica knew Anne Bonny’s father and had dealt with him before. Therefore, it was assumed that Bonny may receive favor in her trial. However, her action of leaving was a harrowing circumstance against her that was one of the reasons that ultimately led to her imprisonment. According to Johnson, Bonny's last words to Rackham were: "Had you fought like a man, you need not have been hang'd like a dog". Read and Bonny both " pleaded their bellies", asking for mercy because they were pregnant, and the court granted them a stay of execution until they gave birth. Read died in prison, most likely from a fever from childbirth. A ledger from a church in Jamaica lists her burial on 28 April 1721, "Mary Read, pirate".


Death

There is no record of Bonny's release, and this has fed speculation as to her fate. A ledger lists the burial of an "Ann Bonny" on 29 December 1733, in the same town in Jamaica where she was tried. Charles Johnson writes in ''A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates'', published in 1724: "She was continued in Prison, to the Time of her lying in, and afterward reprieved from Time to Time; but what is become of her since we cannot tell; only this we know, that she was not executed". Other sources have stated that she may have returned to the United States after her imprisonment, dying in South Carolina in April 1782.


Modern Interpretations of Anne Bonny

Bonny's stories in many ways draw upon modern concepts such as the independent plebeian woman in the eighteenth century which can include new concepts such as the idea of the cross dressing woman warrior and the female criminal. This all builds into the idea of her being seen as a transatlantic subject.


Cross Dressing Woman Warrior

Anne Bonny disguising herself as a man and becoming a pirate in order to pillage and plunder is one thing that can be related to the concept of the cross dressing woman warrior. They both also used this disguise to carry on affairs with the men on the ship and this also facilitates this idea of the cross dressing woman. Klein , Ula Lukszo. “Busty Buccaneers and Sapphic Swashbucklers on the High Seas .” ''Transatlantic Women Travelers, 1688-1843'', Bucknell University , Lewisburg , PA , 2021.


The Female Criminal

The concept of the female criminal is evident in Anne Bonny because she was cunning and intuitive and used this to swindle many of the crew members and it is said in the ''General History of the…Pyrates'' that she had a “fierce and courageous temper”. This concept is also evident in her life because it is also said in this work that she had a large amount of ambiguity and tenacity in terms of her motivations for piracy.


Transatlantic Subject

Anne Bonny being seen as a transatlantic subject draws on the laboring class values, women warrior archetypes, as well as concepts of pirate freedoms. It is clear that they both had many options in terms of her mobility and independence. Bonny also embodies the idea of the transatlantic subject because of the disparate expressions of the impulse to escape imperious British rule  which can also show her shrewdness, practicality, resolveness.


Bonny's Role in Male Dominated Pirate Society

One last concept that can be interpreted with Anne Bonny is the idea of how they interacted in what is a predominantly male dominated society. It is known from the little information on the interactions of Anne Bonny that they supposedly are said to have been at some points better than their male counterparts in being a pirate. They were at times better than them at things such as fighting, drinking, working and this is also what helped get them away with being a male pirate for so long.


In popular culture

* The account of Bonny given in '' A General History of the Pyrates'' is considered fictional, or only partially correct. * Bonny is the main character in the 2021 Netflix docuseries '' The Lost Pirate Kingdom'', where she is portrayed by Mia Tomlinson. * Jean Peters portrays a character based on Anne Bonny in the 1952 film ''
Anne of the Indies ''Anne of the Indies'' is a 1951 Technicolor adventure film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by George Jessel. The film stars Jean Peters and Louis Jourdan, with Debra Paget, Herbert Marshall, Thomas G ...
''. The film is not biographical but helps perpetuate the idea of a beautiful pirate queen. * Bonny and Read are portrayed in the '' Detective Conan'' animated film '' Detective Conan: Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure''. * Bonny is featured in the video game, '' Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'', as a supporting character who becomes quartermaster to protagonist Edward Kenway during the final levels of the game. She is voiced by actress
Sarah Greene Elizabeth Sarah Greene (born 24 October 1957) is an English television presenter and actress. She co-presented ''Blue Peter'' from May 1980 until June 1983, and hosted the Saturday-morning series ''Saturday Superstore'' and '' Going Live!''. E ...
. * Bonny is a playable character in '' Fate/Grand Order'' as a Rider-class and an Archer-class Servant along with Read; Bonny is voiced by
Ayako Kawasumi is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is affectionately referred to by her fellow voice actors and fans as "", "","" and "". She is a skilled pianist as she has played the piano since childhood. She performed "...To You", the opening theme ...
. * Bonny is a main character in the Starz series '' Black Sails'' and is portrayed by Clara Paget. * Read (Cara Roberts) introduces herself to Bonny under the name of Mark Read in the final episode of '' Black Sails''. * Bonny is featured in the song "The Ballad of Mary Read and Anne Bonny" by the Baja Brigade. * The second song from the Death Grips album ''
Government Plates ''Government Plates'' is the third studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free download on November 13, 2013, following the release of the single "Birds" in August 2013. It was also uploaded by the band to multi ...
'' is named "Anne Bonny". * Bonny is depicted as a pirate lord having founded
Libertalia Libertatia (also known as Libertalia) was a purported pirate colony founded in the late 17th century in Madagascar under the leadership of Captain James Misson (last name occasionally spelled "Mission", first name occasionally "Olivier"). The ma ...
alongside Henry Avery,
Thomas Tew Thomas Tew (died September 1695), also known as the Rhode Island Pirate, was a 17th-century English privateer-turned-pirate. He embarked on two major pirate voyages and met a bloody death on the second, and he pioneered the route which became kn ...
, and several other famous pirates in '' Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'' in an altered version of the pirate colony's founding. Her corpse is encountered at a certain point in the game. * Bonny and Mary Read are mentioned in
Charlie Kaufman Charles Stuart Kaufman (; born November 19, 1958) is an American filmmaker and novelist. He wrote the films ''Being John Malkovich'' (1999), ''Adaptation'' (2002), and ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (2004). He made his directorial de ...
's 2020 novel '' Antkind''. * In the manga '' One Piece'', the character Jewelry Bonney is named after Anne Bonny. * Anne Bonny is a prominent character in the German animated film '' Die Abrafaxe – Unter Schwarzer Flagge (The Pirates of Tortuga - Under the Black Flag)''. * The 1948 film ''
The Spanish Main ''The Spanish Main'' is a 1945 American adventure film starring Paul Henreid, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak and Binnie Barnes, and directed by Frank Borzage. It was RKO's first all-Technicolor film since '' Becky Sharp'' ten years before. Cinem ...
'' includes the character Anne Bonny in a fictionalised account. * Captain Anne Bonny is portrayed by
Hillary Brooke Hillary Brooke (born Beatrice Sofia Mathilda Peterson; September 8, 1914 – May 25, 1999) was an American film actress. Career A 5′6″ blonde from the Astoria neighborhood of New York City's borough of Queens, Brooke, who was of Swedish an ...
in the 1952 comedy film ''
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd ''Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd'' is a 1952 comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, along with Charles Laughton, who reprised his role as the infamous pirate from the 1945 film ''Captain ...
''. She initially teams up with
Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...
in search of a treasure but is ultimately betrayed by him. * A character named Anne Bonnie appears as a supporting antagonist in the 2021 anime series '' Fena: Pirate Princess''. She is depicted as a member of the all-female pirate crew of the ship ''Rumble Rose'', serving under captain Grace O'Malley. Another character named after Mary Read is one of her crewmates. * A character named Anne Bonny appears in the '' Cyberpunk Red'' podcast ''Dark Future Dice'' from Rocket Adrift Games. She is depicted as a bunny nomad racer. * A character named Anne Bonnie appears as a ghost in a 1974 episode of ''
CBS Radio Mystery Theatre ''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' (a.k.a. ''Radio Mystery Theater'' and ''Mystery Theater'', sometimes abbreviated as ''CBSRMT'') is a radio drama series created by Himan Brown that was broadcast on CBS Radio Network affiliates from 1974 to 1982, an ...
'' called "The Strange Voyage Of The Lady Dee". * Bonny is the subject of the 2018 song "Anne Bonny" by Karliene. * Anne Bonny, along with John Rackham and Mary Read, features in the AMA Theatre stage play ''The Buccaneers'' and is played by Annie Albici * Anne Bonny and Mary Read appear in the Lyrics of the song “5 Guns West” by Adam and the Ants, on their 3rd album Prince Charming (released in November 1981)


Statue

In 2020, a statue of Bonny and Read was unveiled at Execution Dock in Wapping, London. It is planned to eventually bring the statue to
Burgh Island Burgh Island is a tidal island on the coast of South Devon in England near the small seaside village of Bigbury-on-Sea. There are several buildings on the island, the largest being the Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel. The other buildings are thre ...
in south Devon.


See also

* Capture of the sloop William


Notes


References

Websites *
Anne Bonny

Encyclopædia Britannica Online
*

, Newspaper article *

, Newspaper article Books *
Details the trials of Jack Rackam, Mary Read, Anne Bonny, and Charles Vane. * * Cordingly, David.
Bonny, Anne (1698–1782)
, ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Accessed 18 November 2006. * * *Jarrells, Ralph E. (2019). "Fiery Red Hair, Emerald Green Eyes and A Vicious Irish Temper", WordCrafts Press. 2019. * * * * * Simon, Rebecca Alexandra (2022). ''Pirate Queens: The Lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read''. Philadelphia: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. * * Games * Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag fictionalized version of Anne Bonny voiced by
Sarah Greene Elizabeth Sarah Greene (born 24 October 1957) is an English television presenter and actress. She co-presented ''Blue Peter'' from May 1980 until June 1983, and hosted the Saturday-morning series ''Saturday Superstore'' and '' Going Live!''. E ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonny, Anne Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain 18th-century pirates 18th-century Irish people 18th-century American people 18th-century American women Female-to-male cross-dressers Irish female pirates Kingdom of Ireland emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies People from Kinsale People from Charleston, South Carolina South Carolina colonial people 1697 births