The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-13
Gallant Deeds Of By-Gons
Fears in The Waller
Raleigh Coasiland.
Anne Bonney,
Pirafe Lady
By THERESA THOMAS

adventures nave q place in the
early lore of our state. She fire.
quented our coast with her consort,
Captain Jack Rackam, and helped
scuttle many ship and kill many
a man in our waters.
Anne was born in County Cork
in Ireland. Her father was an at
torney and her mother was his
wife's maid. The scandal springing
from Anne's birth and other things
gradually lost him his practice and
he was forced to turn elsewhere
for a living. In those days the
colony offered position and afflu-
i ence to adventurers who could new
er hope for similar advantages at
home and it was to the Colony of
Carolina he turned his eyes. AL
though practically pensiless he sail
ed to the new world and with him
came his small daughter, Anne.
III By what means he achieved his
prosperity is not known, but in a
short time he was the possessor of
a rich and thriving plantation. It
seems logical to suppose that
some of the characteristics that
later made his daughter a pirate
i helped him to secure wealth.
AS Anne grew up she began to
Keep house for her father and was
i said to be a "good and dutiful
l daughter" also goes on to mention
that she grew up into a "strapping,
bolsterous girl of a fierce and
! courageous temper" This temper
led her even in her tender years in
to many and varied scrapes not the
Least Of which was the killing of
her English serving maid with a
case knife.
1t isn't hard to imagine that the
life Of lady on a colonial planta-
ton would grow dull for one of
Anne's temperament and proclivities
and she soon began to look about
her at the young men. Authorities
agree she was handsome and that
those young men found her attrac-
! tive. Her father also began to look
Eabout for a suitable husband for
Fms tempermental and stormy
daughter. But once again Anne re-
fused to play the "good and dutiful
kdaughter." She fell in love with a
Ehandsome, rakish, devil-may-care
fsailor and married him secretly.
II The pair hoped that once the
marriage was an accomplished fact.
i !, Alnne's father would, accept it with
Egood grace, buk once adam the. SIM
itarity of character between father
kapd daughter was evident. Her
/ Father did nothing of the sort; in
Estead he. became furious, ragged and
threatened and finally ended the
4 interview by turning them both out
4 Of the house. This was not what the
sailor had bargained for, and soon
he was sure she would inherit moth
ing. He disappeared and was never
II heard of again.
| Anne, being what she was, lost
I NO time in mourning his departure,
and soon found consolation else
where. She fell, in love .withs the
! Handsome. rich, daredevil pirate,
Capt. Jack Rackam, known up and
| down the coast as "Calico jack"
This picturesque lover swept her
| off her feet and from; all accounts
Anne was not too difficult to
sweep, and agreed to sail with him
disguished in sailors clothes.
All her wearing of mems clothes
couldn't fool old mother nature and
after time it was necessary that
Anne be put ashore. Captain Rack
am sailed to Cuba and landed her
at a small cove where he had al
house and friends to look after her.
But it was not too long before
Anne was back aboard the ship
wielding cutlass and marlinspike
with the best of them. Legend
states that when a prize was board
ed, Anne was always the first to set
foot on the victims deck.
Also on board Captain Rackam's
ship was another woman wearing
mems attire, although even Captain
Rackmas nor any of the crew sus-
pected it until the secret was dis
covered by Anne. This woman was
Mary Road, whose life was as dra-
matte as Anne's.
Il
The days of pirating were almost
over for Captain Rackman, for
while cruising near Jamaica in Oct
tober, 1920, the pirates were sur
prised by an armed sloop that had
been sent out by the Governor of
the island for the express purpose
Of capturing Rackman and his crew.
In the fight that followed the pir-
ates did not conduct themselves
with the courage and hardihood
generally attributed to the men Of
their calling. In fact, if legend
speaks truly, they showed them
selves below decks. All, that Is but
Anne Bonney and her companion
lady pirate, Mary Road. They, all
accounts agree, fought gallantly.
BY very force Of number, Anne
and Mary were soon overwhelmed
L ~.<A .n4A.....l FFv. -. 80 -