Printable Coloring Pages
Mary Read - Pirate Coloring Pages
Mary Read, the fearless pirate who broke all norms, steps into the world of creativity with these coloring pages, ready for young artists to bring her thrilling seafaring adventures to life through vibrant colors.
Mary Read, an English pirate whose life story intertwines with legend, emerged as one of the few famed female pirates during the early 18th century. Her early years remain shrouded in mystery, with much of what we know being derived from contested historical accounts. Born around 1695 in England, Read's journey into piracy was anything but straightforward. Initially disguised as a boy to secure financial support from her paternal grandmother, this early experience in masquerading her identity laid the groundwork for her later life. After a stint in the military and the death of her husband, whom she had married while revealing her true identity, Read resumed her male disguise to work as a sailor, eventually finding herself amid the golden age of piracy when her ship was captured by pirates.
Read's life took a dramatic turn when she joined forces with the notorious pirate John "Calico Jack" Rackham and his companion Anne Bonny, both of whom initially mistook her for a man. The trio became infamous when they commandeered an armed sloop named William from Nassau in 1720. The dynamics within this pirate crew were complex, especially between Read and Bonny, who initially did not know of each other's true gender. Their eventual revelation to each other—and later, to Rackham—added a fascinating layer to their already intriguing narrative. The trio's exploits were marked by audacity and courage, with Read and Bonny known for their combativeness in battle, often while disguised as men.
The end came for Read in November 1720, when the pirate crew, led by Rackham, was ambushed and captured by Captain Jonathan Barnet. During the confrontation, only Read, Bonny, and one other crew member offered any resistance, showcasing their bravery even in the face of overwhelming odds. The subsequent trial was swift, and while Rackham was executed, Read and Bonny's sentences were temporarily stayed upon their claims of pregnancy. Mary Read's life came to a tragic end in a Jamaican prison in April 1721, not due to execution but to a fever, possibly before she could give birth. Her story, blending fact with fiction, remains a compelling chapter in the annals of pirate history, illustrating not only the adventurous spirit of the time but also the complex roles women navigated within it.