"Oh, she was a pirate queen"
December 14th 2006 19:06
“Oh she was a pirate queen”
The words of a song about Mary read: A tragic pirate queen. She was born in England after her mother who had an infant son when married to a sailor who did not return from the sea. Being with child and still married to a sailor who was away from home mother decides to “move in with country relatives” and there in the country after her little one-year-old son dies she has Mary. She runs out of money after three years and must return to her mother in law and to hide her former pregnancy she dresses Mary as a boy and so deceives her mother in law. At age thirteen and still disguised as a boy she is sent to work as page for a lady. From there she joins a man of war leaving in Flanders to join a foot regiment. Not getting the commission she hoped for by being a brave soldier she then joined a cavalry regiment and here the first stirring’s of love emerge.
She shares a tent with a young gallant and then accidentally on purpose allows him to find out she is a maid. The gallant thinks this is good, as he will have his own mistress and never have to share the camp whores again. But Mary holds out for marriage. During the winter break in campaigns they raise enough money to marry. Officers from the regiment chip in to help with the dowry, as both soldiers were brave and daring and will be missed. With the dowry they buy a small inn which does very well till Mary’s husband dies and the officers of the regiment no longer frequent.
She joins a ship bound for the West Indies again disguised as a man. The ship is attacked by pirates and as the only Englishman on board Mary is offered the life of a pirate or walk the plank. She pirates and buccaneers along the Spanish Maine until a pardon sees the crew decide for a quiet life ashore. With still no real purse to set herself up again she is drawn to an American privateer to test her fortune. Still dressed as a man, her and the crew rebel and seize the ship and once more go pirating. At this stage she meets Anne Bonny who is also on board and disguised. Anne falls in love with Mary and Mary has to tell her secret. The captain jealous of Anne (his mistress) and Mary says he will cut Mary’s throat but Anne intervenes and the captain cools his ardour.
It is the habit of this ship to keep any interesting gentlemen they find on plundered ships as sort of pets. Poets artists and so on. Mary falls for a fellow and soon she gives him a flash of her breasts (which are as white as snow, never seeing the light of day,) and the poor fellow is smitten and they form a sort of marriage but the crew think that “buggery” is going on. This being acceptable on pirate ships everyone is happy, until the Royal Navy attacks the ship. All the crew hide below with only Anne and Mary standing fast to repel boarders. They are soon overcome and taken to prison. Mary is saved the gallows early on as she is with child. She is kept in prison where days after her child is born she dies of prison fever.
A tragic opera? The plot for a mini series? A sub plot for days of our dreary lives? No a very abridged version of a true story!
The words of a song about Mary read: A tragic pirate queen. She was born in England after her mother who had an infant son when married to a sailor who did not return from the sea. Being with child and still married to a sailor who was away from home mother decides to “move in with country relatives” and there in the country after her little one-year-old son dies she has Mary. She runs out of money after three years and must return to her mother in law and to hide her former pregnancy she dresses Mary as a boy and so deceives her mother in law. At age thirteen and still disguised as a boy she is sent to work as page for a lady. From there she joins a man of war leaving in Flanders to join a foot regiment. Not getting the commission she hoped for by being a brave soldier she then joined a cavalry regiment and here the first stirring’s of love emerge.
She shares a tent with a young gallant and then accidentally on purpose allows him to find out she is a maid. The gallant thinks this is good, as he will have his own mistress and never have to share the camp whores again. But Mary holds out for marriage. During the winter break in campaigns they raise enough money to marry. Officers from the regiment chip in to help with the dowry, as both soldiers were brave and daring and will be missed. With the dowry they buy a small inn which does very well till Mary’s husband dies and the officers of the regiment no longer frequent.
She joins a ship bound for the West Indies again disguised as a man. The ship is attacked by pirates and as the only Englishman on board Mary is offered the life of a pirate or walk the plank. She pirates and buccaneers along the Spanish Maine until a pardon sees the crew decide for a quiet life ashore. With still no real purse to set herself up again she is drawn to an American privateer to test her fortune. Still dressed as a man, her and the crew rebel and seize the ship and once more go pirating. At this stage she meets Anne Bonny who is also on board and disguised. Anne falls in love with Mary and Mary has to tell her secret. The captain jealous of Anne (his mistress) and Mary says he will cut Mary’s throat but Anne intervenes and the captain cools his ardour.
It is the habit of this ship to keep any interesting gentlemen they find on plundered ships as sort of pets. Poets artists and so on. Mary falls for a fellow and soon she gives him a flash of her breasts (which are as white as snow, never seeing the light of day,) and the poor fellow is smitten and they form a sort of marriage but the crew think that “buggery” is going on. This being acceptable on pirate ships everyone is happy, until the Royal Navy attacks the ship. All the crew hide below with only Anne and Mary standing fast to repel boarders. They are soon overcome and taken to prison. Mary is saved the gallows early on as she is with child. She is kept in prison where days after her child is born she dies of prison fever.
A tragic opera? The plot for a mini series? A sub plot for days of our dreary lives? No a very abridged version of a true story!
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