The pirates own book : $b authentic narratives of the most celebrated sea robbersEllms, Charles
History
The pirates own book : $b authentic narratives of the most celebrated sea robbers
Ellms, Charles
Pirates
Upon the king's proclamation offering a pardon to all pirates, he
surrendered, and went into the privateering business, as we have related
before: he, however, soon embraced an opportunity to return to his
favorite employment. In all his piratical exploits Anne accompanied him;
and, as we have already recorded, displayed such courage and
intrepidity, that she, along with Mary Read and a seaman, were the last
three who remained on board when the vessel was taken.
Anne was known to many of the planters in Jamaica, who remembered to
have seen her in her father's house, and they were disposed to intercede
in her behalf. Her unprincipled conduct, in leaving her own husband and
forming an illicit connexion with Rackam, tended, however, to render her
friends less active. By a special favor, Rackam was permitted to visit
her the day before he was executed; but, instead of condoling with him
on account of his sad fate, she only observed, that she was sorry to see
him there, but if he had fought like a man he needed not have been
hanged like a dog. Being with child, she remained in prison until her
recovery, was reprieved from time to time, and though we cannot
communicate to our readers any particulars of her future life, or the
manner of her death, yet it is certain that she was not executed.
THE ADVENTURES AND HEROISM OF MARY READ.
The attention of our readers is now to be directed to the history of two
female pirates,--a history which is chiefly remarkable from the
extraordinary circumstance of the softer sex assuming a character
peculiarly distinguished for every vice that can disgrace humanity, and
at the same time for the exertion of the most daring, though brutal,
courage.
Mary Read was a native of England, but at what place she was born is not
recorded. Her mother married a sailor when she was very young, who, soon
after their marriage, went to sea, and never returned. The fruit of that
marriage was a sprightly boy. The husband not returning, she again found
herself with child, and to cover her shame, took leave of her husband's
relations, and went to live in the country, taking her boy along with
her. Her son in a short time died, and she was relieved from the burden
of his maintenance and education. The mother had not resided long in the
country before Mary Read, the subject of the present narrative, was
born.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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