The Trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read
The 1720 prosecution of Anne Bonny and Mary Read is one of the strongest pieces of evidence behind their historical fame. The trial places both women inside John Rackham’s pirate company and shows that colonial authorities regarded them as active participants rather than passengers.
Why were Bonny and Read on trial?
They were captured with John “Calico Jack” Rackham and his crew after returning to piracy in 1720. Jamaican authorities prosecuted members of the company for felonious acts of piracy and robbery at sea.
Were Anne Bonny and Mary Read tried with the men?
The women were prosecuted separately from Rackham and several male crew members. Their cases became especially notable because women were uncommon among defendants in major piracy trials.
What did the prosecution allege?
Witness testimony connected them with the pirate company and its attacks. The historical importance of the proceedings is that they do not portray the women as accidental captives. Authorities treated them as members of the crew.
Were they convicted?
Yes. Both Anne Bonny and Mary Read were found guilty and sentenced to death, the standard punishment for convicted pirates under the law used by British colonial authorities.
What does “pleading the belly” mean?
After conviction, both women stated that they were pregnant. Under English legal practice, execution of a pregnant woman could be postponed. Examinations accepted their claims, so the sentences were delayed.
What happened to Mary Read?
Mary Read died in Jamaica in 1721 while still in custody, apparently from illness. She therefore was never executed. See What Happened to Mary Read?.
What happened to Anne Bonny?
Her later fate is much less certain. Popular accounts offer stories of family intervention, release and a long life afterward, but the documentary trail does not provide a universally accepted conclusion. See What Happened to Anne Bonny?.
Did they really fight while the men hid below deck?
That dramatic story comes largely from later narrative tradition. It may preserve genuine memory of the capture, but the trial itself is stronger evidence for their participation than every detail of the famous final fight.
Why is the trial so important?
Bonny and Read have attracted centuries of embellishment. The court record anchors their stories in a real event and allows historians to separate documented participation in piracy from later biography and legend.