Who was Mary Read?
Mary Read was a female pirate on the Spanish Main during the 18th century. Her short life was driven by her apparent love of battle and independence, and her habit of disguising herself as a man. Mary’s fame comes mostly from her association with two other famous pirates, Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham. Mary Read is believed to have been born around 1690 in England, to an extremely poor family. After the death of Mary’s older brother, her mother is said to have disguised young Mary as a boy, as a means of receiving continuing financial support from her eccentric, but wealthy, grandmother. Some stories suggest that Mary and her mother survived on this income, while others believe the grandmother rented Mary out as a footman to make extra money. Experts speculate that the comparative freedom of choice available to men was attractive to Mary Read, as she continued to disguise herself for professional reasons throughout most of her life. She became a soldier, serving both in the navy a
There are different rumors as to why Mary Read born in the late seventeenth century in London was disguised as a boy from her birthday until she joined the British military, was promoted to Horse Regiment, and then fell in love with another soldier. She then gave away her secret to the soldier that stole her heart away and then were wed. Mary and her new husband opened an inn called the Three Horseman and for the first time in her life, she enjoyed life as a woman. However, this style of life did not last for Mary. Her husband died, she once again became a man and joined the military. The military did not hold the same love as it once did, Mary left the military and jumped on a ship headed to the West Indies. The ship was attached by Captain Calico Jack Rackham and his pirate mistress, Anne Bonny. Anne saw Mary as another young man to conquer but as she began her seduction, she realized Mary was in fact a young woman. Anne promised not to divulge Mary’s secret, however, the secret was
