Anne Bonny
A pirate who served under John Rackham and became one of the most recognized pirates of the Golden Age.
Anne Bonny (likely died December 1733) was a pirate who served under John Rackham. Amongst the few recorded female pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy, she has become one of the most recognized pirates of the era, as well as the history of piracy in general. Much of Bonny's background is unknown. The first biography of Bonny comes from Captain Charles Johnson's 1724 book A General History of the Pyrates, a greatly unreliable series of pirate biographies. According to Johnson, Bonny was born in Ireland, the illegitimate daughter of an attorney and his servant. Although Johnson's version of events has become popular over the centuries, there is little evidence to support it. At an unknown date, Bonny travelled to the Bahamas where she became acquainted with the pirate John Rackham.
Quick Facts
- Died
- Unknown cause; December 1733
- Allegiance
- John Rackham
- Rank
- Powder monkey
- Base of operations
- West Indies
Lore & Background
On 22 August 1720, Bonny, Rackham, and another woman, Mary Read, together with about 13 other male pirate crewmembers, stole the sloop William from former pirate and privateer John Ham, then at anchor in Nassau harbor, and put out to sea. The crew spent two months in the West Indies attacking merchant ships. Bonny took part in piracy alongside the men, handing out gunpowder to fellow pirates, a job usually referred to as a powder monkey. On 5 September 1720, Governor Rogers put out a proclamation, later published in The Boston Gazette on 17 October, demanding the arrest of Rackham and his associates. Among those named are Anne Bonny and Mary Read. A victim of the pirates, Dorothy Thomas of Jamaica, described Bonny and Read's appearance during their trial. She said they 'wore men's jackets, and long trousers, and handkerchiefs tied about their heads: and ... each of them had a machete and pistol in their hands and they cursed and swore at the men to murder her.' Thomas also recorded that she knew that they were women, 'from the largeness of their breasts.'
Reader's Guide
Anne Bonny is a historical figure from the Golden Age of Piracy, known for serving under John Rackham and for being one of the few recorded female pirates. Her early life is largely unknown, with the only biography coming from the unreliable A General History of the Pyrates. She joined Rackham's crew in August 1720 alongside Mary Read, and together they stole the sloop William from Nassau harbor. After two months of attacking merchant ships in the West Indies, they were captured by Jonathan Barnet on 22 October 1720. Bonny was tried and sentenced to hang, but claimed pregnancy to delay execution. She was likely let go at an unknown point and lived until 1733.
More in Characters & NPCs
Elsewhere in New World
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced