And now, Gents and Poppets, yer pirate fact o' the day:
Today we shall learn o' the only two FEMALE pirates o' the Caribbean on record - Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Aye, and a couple o' fearsome women they be.
Mary Read were raised by her mum dressed as a boy, which were neccesary, fer her dad had run off and her mum had te appeal te her mum-in-law fer money te raise the child and it were more likely te happen if that child were a boy. Mum-in-law agreed and Mary continued te be a boy - workin' as a footman te a French lady and then joinin' the Navy. While in the Navy, she met herself a soldier what she fancied. Revealin' herself te him, they took up together and eventually married, leavin' the Navy and startin' their own pub (and Mary dressed as a woman durin' these times). When her husband died not long after, Mary returned te dressin' as a man and joined a sailin' crew headin' fer the West Indies - along the way the ship were taken by the pirate Jack Rackam and Mary joined the pirate crew. Thar she met Anne Bonny.
Anne Bonny were born in England te her father's mistress (who were also maid te his household). When his wife discovered his affair with the maid, she had the woman sent te jail fer supposedly stealing her silverware. Anne's father loved the woman so much, that he felt their daughter should come te live with him - so he dressed her as a boy and acted a tho he were trainin' her te be a lawyer's clerk (fer he were a lawyer hisself). When his proper wife discovered what he were doin', she cut off the money she were givin' him and put him te ruin. He decided te run off te the colonies with his mistress and their daughter. Settlin' in America, he worked his way up te ownin' a plantation, where Anne were well provided fer. But Anne fell in love with a poor sailor and married him, much te her father's disapproval - he were so angry her turned her out o' the house. So, Anne and her man sailed off te the Bahamas te seek their way in life. While in the pubs o' New Providence, Anne met up with Jack Rackam, who courted her directly and persuaded her te leave her husband and join him aboard his pirate vessel. This she did and returned te dressin' as a man.
Aboard Rackam's ship, Bonny found herself attracted te a member o' the crew and revealed herself te him. And, aye, that other crewman were Read, who put a stop te things, by also revealin' herself. Te keep things square, they also let Rackam in on the secret.
After sailin' some time with Rackam, their ship were attacked by that o' a Captain were on order te capture pirates. Well, friends, the crew o' Rackam's ship had been havin' a fine time that night and most were drunker than Jack Sparrow. When their ship were boarded, they were unfit te fight and stayed belowdecks, with the exception o' Anne and Mary. Aye, the two women stood upon deck and cursed their attackers, as well as beratin' their fellow pirates te come upon deck and show theirselves te be the men they claimed they be! But, the two women were no match fer the boardin' party, no matter how fiercly they fought, and all o' Rackam's crew were taken te jail. Anne and Mary were tried separately from the rest o' the crew and all were sentenced te hang upon the gallows (and, aye, as ye've learned from a previous pirate fact, that is indeed what Rackam's fate were). The two women pleaded fer their lives te be spared fer both were pregnant and, indeed they were found te be so and were put back te jail. But, sadly, Mary Read contracted fever and died in prison before her child could be born. Thar be no record o' what happened te Anne Bonny, but it be believed that per'aps her father ransomed her back te the colonies.
Aye, and thar be the story o' the two fearsome women what paved the way fer those o' us women who fancy ourselves pirates today.
how peculiar....
Don't show this to Will! 
