Posts Tagged ‘Rackman’

Famous female pirates on the high seas

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Current depictions of history tell us men were the only pirates.Not so. The real story is that lady pirates also sailed the seas seeking treasure. So if you fancy recreating this forgotten past you could choose to wear a women’s pirate costume this halloween.

It is easy enough to recall past figures such as Long John Silver and Blackbeard. But we struggle to find a well know woman pirate. Although they practiced the same trade as men, it was trickier because they were not allowed to sail on pirate ships because the might arouse the passion of the male crew members, to put it politely.Life was also very tough on board and not like the gentle life usually associated with domesticated women of the time.

In fact studying the records you will discover 2 female pirate of standing.They were Ann Bonny and Mary Read.Ann was from Cork bonr in 1697 to a lawyer father. Her story took her from an american plantation where her father first took her. She later fell in love with a pirate called Jack Rackman while married to another man. But the appeal of adventure was too strong for her and she left with Jack to start her life as a pirate. She dressed as a man and learned to steal like a man. As time went by she met another woman called Mary Read. Marys mother had also dressed her as a boy so she could persuade the family to give them money. In this guise she acted as a boy servant to a wealthy family before truning to the high seas.She was captued by Jack Rackman however, and this is how she came to meet up with Ann Bonny.

Pirate costumes are exclusively based around the golden age of pirates. Much of the events of this time occurred in the Caribbean, the eastern coastlines of the American continents wher our 2 spiruted ladies live their lives. The pirates were usually British, Dutch and French. Victims were mostly Spanish galleons on thier way home form the new world with treasure. But any ship was game and the target was to relieve the crew of their ship rather than the cargo.

Think of these adventurous women when next you look at the fabulous pirate costumes and what romance and legend you are tapping into should you choose to dress up in the full regalia. For xample there is a waistcoat dress with its short skirt to which you could add long boots and a sword.