Mary Read, also known as Mark Read, was an English pirate. She and Anne Bonny are two of the most famed female pirates of all time. Read began dressing as a boy at a young age as it was the only way her mother could secure an inheritance for her from a relative who passed away. Playing a boy for so long, she ended up in the British military when she was a teenager and had to play the part of a male soldier. After her service, she went back to living the life of a female and got married.
When her husband died she moved to the West Indies around 1715. She met two pirates, Captain Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny in 1720, so she decided to try the adventures of pirating at the "old age," back then of 35 years.
They were a very successful crew but a little less than a year into Read's time on the water, Captain Rackham's ship was captured by the British. He was swiftly executed but both Read and Bonny claimed to be pregnant and received delayed sentences. Read was never executed and instead died of a fever in 1721 at the age of 36.
There are thousands of amazing stories throughout history, what Mary/Mark Read did, is one of them.
When her husband died she moved to the West Indies around 1715. She met two pirates, Captain Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny in 1720, so she decided to try the adventures of pirating at the "old age," back then of 35 years.
They were a very successful crew but a little less than a year into Read's time on the water, Captain Rackham's ship was captured by the British. He was swiftly executed but both Read and Bonny claimed to be pregnant and received delayed sentences. Read was never executed and instead died of a fever in 1721 at the age of 36.
There are thousands of amazing stories throughout history, what Mary/Mark Read did, is one of them.
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