The famous Irish-born pirate woman Anne Bonnie, whose fame and popularity is comparable, perhaps, only with her namesake, who was robbing banks in America, has recently been interested in an increasing number of people. This is caused, of course, by the widespread romanticization of the image of pirates in literature and cinema, as well as by the recent sensational novelties on small screens.
Birth, family and relocation
The future pirate was born on March 8, 1700 in Country Cork, which is located in Ireland. At birth, the girl's name was Ann Cormack. Her father was the successful lawyer Edward Cormack, and his wife's maid was her mother. Other sources claim that the father of Anne Bonnie is William Cormack. Because of the impending big scandal, the head of the family, along with his wife and five-year-old Ann, had to leave their house.
The girl began to live in South Carolina, where her father acquired vast plantations. Here, young Ann received a good education at that time. The well-bred girl spent all her childhood in her father's colonial mansion, having many servants and privileges. However, a decent upbringing and high-quality education could not suppress an exuberant temperament.
Growing up and leaving the parental home
Over the years, the girl’s behavior became less and less controlled. Ann showed her unbridled disposition in different ways. For example, she could ride naked to the waist. According to rumors, once a young Anne Bonnie stabbed a servant in a parent's mansion. According to one version, the case was even considered in court, but his father’s lawyer ties contributed to his speedy jam.
Believing that there was only one way to help his daughter, Edward began to look for Ann a suitable groom. It wasn’t so difficult to do, because Ann was considered a good party. But his father did not have time to put his plan into practice. The daughter was ahead of him and married a simple and unknown sailor named James Bonnie. According to popular belief, the sailor James was penniless and soon after meeting the girl found out about the possessions of her family.
Edward Cormack could not convince his daughter and upset her wedding with the poor. Nevertheless, he managed to completely cut off James and Ann Bonnie from his fortune. The anger of his father was so great that the young had to board the nearest ship, which was heading to the island of New Providence.
First adventures on the island
Once on the island, Ann had an acquaintance with a local wealthy plantation owner named Childy Bayard. Some time later, the girl was accused of assisting the killers of the cousin of the Jamaican governor. Anne was thrown into a prison cell, but Childy rescued her from there, paying the right people a big bribe.
The freed girl remained with the planter and went with him on several trips to the New World. Shopping trips and Bayard himself at some point bored the young pirate, after which she began to look for a new company. In May 1719, Ann met in one of the New Providence taverns with Jack Rackham, nicknamed Calico. Jack and his desperate criminal lifestyle made a lasting impression on the young girl.
The beginning of a pirate life and the first steps
The constant signs of attention given by Rackham strengthened the bond between him and Bonnie. Upon learning that he was planning to sail from the island on a pirate ship, Anne made a key decision in her life. Soon, the girl changed into men's clothes in order to follow Jack on a pirate ship, which was just about to go to sea.
Then Governor Woods Rogers granted amnesty to all pirates and thereby contributed to a new increase in pirate fishing. Jack, along with the crew, repeatedly noted the ability of Anne to stand up for herself and fight along with the rest of the crew of the ship, if necessary. The courage of pirate Ann Bonnie certainly could not be denied.
Activities at sea and getting to know Mary
Rackham served as quartermaster on a ship under the command of Charles Wayne. During the voyage, Anne was skilled in handling both melee weapons and a pistol. Once, capturing another merchant ship, a team of pirates encountered the resistance of one of the crew members, which at that time was quite rare. The only crew member who had an enviable army training bothered to take the fight. After several unsuccessful attempts to cope with a fighting Englishman, the pirates invited the enemy to join their team.
Unexpectedly for everyone, the newly made member of the pirate team turned out to be a girl named Mary Reid. During subsequent voyages, she made close acquaintance with Anne and Jack, after which they always pirated together.
Arrest, imprisonment and execution
After a year and a half of active pirate robbery, the team, along with Anne Bonnie, Mary Reid, and Jack Rackham, was captured and captured by Captain Jonathan Barnet on the orders of Jamaican Governor Woods Rogers. The whole team was sentenced to death by hanging in October 1720.
After the capture, it also turned out that Ann and Mary were pregnant. Jack Rackham, as an unprecedented exception, was allowed to see his beloved Ann before the execution. The words spoken by the girl to Jack, were very unexpected. She expressed indignation at the wretched appearance of Wreckham, saying the phrase that went down in history: “If you fought like a man, you would not have been hanged like a dog.”
After that, Jack Rackham was executed, and pregnant Mary Reid died in a prison cell from a fever. Anne’s execution was always put off for humanitarian reasons, waiting for her pregnancy to end. Surviving sources claim that the verdict was never brought into effect.
Further fate
At this point, the lines of a true biography of pirate Anne Bonnie break off. The further life of the girl is described for the most part not by historical references, but by then born legends.
According to rumors and tales, Governor Rogers gave Ann freedom, after which the former pirate married Captain Roberts, taking an active part in his campaigns on Port Royal. Another version says that Bonnie again contacted the pirates and died in one of the many battles.
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography contains slightly different information about the fate of the famous pirate. According to him, her father was able to free Anne from prison, return her to her home in Charleston. After the girl gave birth to a baby Jack, and on December 21, 1721 she got married again. This time, Joseph Burley became the chosen one of Anne, from whom she gave birth to ten more children. Natural death came to a woman at a respectable age, at 82 years old. Anne died on April 22, 1782, and two days later was buried at York County Cemetery in Virginia. The burial place is specified in "Forgotten Tales of South Carolina" by Sherman Carmichael.
Disclosure of the image in cinema and music
Many performers in various musical genres have dedicated songs to Ann Bonnie, who has become one of the most colorful images of female pirates of all time. The list of tracks about the famous pirate includes the following songs:
- Daniel Kluger - “Lady Luck”;
- Karliene - Anne Bonny;
- Zed Yago - Rebel ladies;
- Laura Veers - Anne Bonny Rag;
- Death Grips - Anne Bonny;
- Bread and Roses - The Ballad of Anne Bonny and Mary Read;
- Security System - Anne Bonnie.
Anne's image has been used in countless pirate-themed films. Recently, many viewers again became acquainted with the famous heroine, thanks to a television show that was released in 2014. The new vision of Anne Bonnie from Black Sails was praised by both viewers and critics. The drama series also featured pirate Jack Rackham, Governor Woods Rogers, and several other historical characters. Three seasons were released as part of the TV show, the series ended in 2017. Actress Clara Paget played the role of Anne Bonnie.
Anne lived a bright and undoubtedly interesting life, her path was full of desperate adventures and fascinating travels. To find out the reliable truth about what really happened to her is unlikely to ever be possible. Nevertheless, the image of the pirate woman Ann firmly entrenched in the minds and became part of the historical heritage.