Throughout history, many famous pirates have sailed throughout the world. A lot of notable pirates such as Sir Francis Drake and Blackbeard, among others, were male, but there were plenty of women pirates who were just as ruthless. Even like their male counterparts, there are some pirate women who have only existed throughout the hundreds of stories in pirate lore. The reason why there are so many interesting stories about pirates is because there's very little historic documentation of them, especially with female pirates. In most of history, women were not supposed to be pirates. One of many superstitions of the seas was that it was bad luck to have a woman aboard your ship. To keep their identity concealed, some would dress and live as men during their time on the water.
Despite the perceived negativity around women on the ships, it didn't stop them from taking command and committing acts of piracy at times. We've tracked down more than 30 pirate women, both real or potentially fictional, and included them in the following resources. These pirates come from various points in history dating all the way back more than a couple hundred years BC all the way to late 20th century. Below, we've featured ten of the most prominent women in piracy with information such as territories, years active, and more. Some of them, such as Anne Bonny, have shown up in video games, TV shows, and other forms of pop culture. Check out this infographic for your complete guide to these fierce females.
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Brassy Buccaneers: Ruthless Pirate: Women Who Dominated the Seven Seas Transcript
Jacquette Delahaye
Faked her own death and went into hiding dressed as a man to evade the government. Several years later, she returned to piracy. Died in a shootout defending the small Caribbean Island she had taken over.
Aliases: Back From the Dead Red
Lifespan: Unknown
Year Active: 1650's-1660s AD
Country of Origin: Unknown
In Popular Culture: None
Mary Read
Fought in the was of the Spanish Succession while with the British Army. Became close with Anne Bonny after joining Calico Jack's crew. Was captured with the rest of the William Crew and sentenced to death by hanging. She eventually died in prison from a fever in 1721.
Aliases: Mark Read
Lifespan: 1690-1718 AD
Years Active: 1718-1720 AD
Country of Origin: England
In Popular Origin: Assasin's Creed IV: Black Flag (video game), True Caribbean (film)
Anne Bonny/ Cormac
Abandoned her husband to join her love, John "Calico Jack" Rackham, and assisted in commanding his ship, The William. Dressed as a man while pillaging other ships. After the crew was captured, Bonny was the only member to be released following trial. Everyone else was hanged.
Aliases: Ann Bonn, Ann Fulford, possibly also Sarah Bonny
Lifespan: 1700-1782 AD
Years Active: 1720 AD
Country of Origin: Ireland
In Popular Culture: Assasin's Credd IV: Blag Flag (video game), Black Sails (TV show)
Sadie Farrell
Earned the nickname Sadie the Goat due to her temperament and habit of headbutting victims. Her crew would raid small villages and farmhouses along The Hudson and Harlem rivers. Her ear was once bitten off in a fight and, after getting it back, she wore it on a necklace.
Aliases: Sadie the Goat
Lifespan: Unknown
Years Active: 1889-1903 AD
Country of Origin: America
In Popular Culture: Gangs of New York (Film), referenced in several historical novels
Rachel Wall
Thought to be the first American female pirate. During rough weather periods, her crew would disguise one of their ships to appear broken down and Wall would act distressed. When other ships came to inspect or help her out, the crew would then ambush and rob them. Was tried and sentenced to death by hanging in 1789. Was also the last woman to be hanged in the state of Massachusetts.
Aliases: Rachel Schmidt
Lifespan: 1760- 1789 AD
Years Active: 1770's AD
Country of Origin: America (New England)
In Popular Culture: None
Lady Mary Killigrew
Supposedly bribed officials to overlook her privacy and illegal activities and to evade her death sentence after she was caught. Was often confused with he mother-in-law, Elizabeth Trewinnard, and hence sometimes was referred to as Elizabeth Killigrew.
Aliases: Elizabeth Killigrew, Mary Wolverston
Lifespan: Unknown
Years Active: 1530-1570 AD
Country of Origin: England
In Popular Culture: None
Queen Teuta of Illyria
Took over the Ardiaean Kingdom following the death of her husband, King Agron. Provoked war with Rome because of piratical raids ordered on neighboring territories.
Aliases: Unknown
Lifespan: Unknown
Years Active: 232-228 BC
In Popular Culture: None
Ching Shih
Former Chinese sex worker who married a pirate and rose to prominence after his death, taking command of the infamous Red Flag Fleet. At its height, her fleet consisted of more than 1500 ships and 80000 sailors. Considered to be the most successful female pirate and one of the world's most powerful pirates in history.
Aliases: Madame Ching, Cheng I Sao
Lifespan: 1775-1844 AD
Years Active: 1801-1810 AD
Country of Origin: China
In Popular Culture: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (film)
Lo Hon-cho
Took command of 64 ships after her husband died in 1921. Her fleet would attack villages and fishing fleets around Beihai, taking young women as prisoners and selling them into slavery.
Aliases: Hon-cho Lo
Lifespan: Unknown
Years Active: 1920s AD
Country of Origin: East China
In Popular Culture: None
Sources: Ancient-origins.net, annebonnypirate.com, Brittanica.com, Herstorie.com, History.com, Historynet.com, Mentalfloss.com, Republicofpirates.com, Thewayofthepirates.com, Wikipedia.org, The Danish History, Book I-IX by Grammaticus Saxo, Daring Pirate Women by Anne Wallace Sharp, Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas by Laura Sook Duncombe
More Women Pirates in History
Aside from the ten pirates listed above, there are many other important women who have left their mark in pirate history. Some were real, but some are said to be made up. Check out the ledger below for information on several other notable women pirates.
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A Pirate's Ledger: Other Notable Women of the Seas Transcript
There are other Female Pirates mentioned throughout history. With the lack of documentation and historical records, it's difficult to know whether or not some of these women even existed. Here are a few others mentioned in pirate lore. (*Denotes existence is disputed)
*Rusila
Fought her brother for the thrones of Denmark and Norway
Active: Unknown
Territory: Norway
*Stikla
Sister of Rusila; became a pirate to avoid marriage
Active: Unknown
Territory: Norway
Princess Sela:
Viking Pirate who fueded with her brother.
Active: 420 AD
Territory: North Atlantic Ocean
*Wigbiorg, Hetha, and Wisna
Three potentially fictitious "Women-warriors" connected to the Battle of Bravelier.
Active: 8th Century AD
Territory: Province South of Sweden
*Alfchild (alias: Alwilda)
Had a fleet of longships with crews of young female pirates that raided along the coasts of the Baltic Sea.
Active: Unknown
Territory: The Baltic Sea
Ladgerda
Seen as inspiration for Hermintrude in Shakspeare's Hamlet
Active: Unknown
Territory: Unknown
*Aethelflaed (Alias: The Lady of the Mercians)
Following her husband's death, she took command of his fleet in order to protect her land from the Danish Vikings
Active: 872- 918 AD
Territory: England
Jeanne of Clisson (Alias: The Lioness of Brittany)
Took up piracy in order to avenge the execution of her husband
Active: Unknown
Territory: The English Channel
Elise Eskilsdotter
Led open warfare, along with her children, against the German merchant class of Bergen by means of piracy.
Active: 420 AD
Territory: Bergen, Norway
Grainne Ni Mhaille (Aliases: Grainne Mhaol, Granuaile, Grace O'Malley, "The Sea Queen of Connaught"
Former Queen of Umaill
Active: 1530-1603
Territory: Ireland
Sayyida al Hurra
Became queen of Tetouan following the death of her husband in 1515. After turning to piracy, she was notorious for being the one who would negotiate the release of Portuguese and Spanish captives. Was eventually overthrown by her son-in-law in 1542, after which her fate went unknown.
Active: 1520-1542
Territory: Tetouan, Spain
Christina Anna Skytte
Participated in secret piracy started by her brother and spouse in The Baltic Sea.
Active: 1650s-1660s
Territory: Sweden
Anne Dieu-le-Veut
Was regarded as a mascot and symbol for god luck in accompanying pirate Laurens De Graaf on his ship during acts of piracy. Did not hide her gender like most other female pirates.
Active: 1650s-1704s
Territory: Tortuga Island, Haiti
*Maria Lindsey
Practiced piracy with husband Eric Cobham in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from their base in Newfoundland
Active: Early 1700s AD
Territory: Gulf of St. Lawrence
Ingela Gathenhielm
Swedish privateer in service of King Charles XII of Sweden during the Great Northern War
Active: 1692-1729 AD
Territory: Baltic Sea
Mary Harvey (Alias Mary Farlee)
Convected of piracy in 1726, but was eventually released.
Active: 1725-1726
Territory: Bergen, Norway
Mary Crickett
Convicted of piracy and hanged in 1729.
Active: 1728-1729 AD
Territory: Unknown
Flora Burn
Information: Took up piracy in 1741. Captain of a group known as The Burn Rose Pirates.
Active: 1741 AD
Territory: North American East Coast
*Charlotte de Berry
Only exists through potentially fictional stories about her life.
Active: 1700s
Territory: Unknown
Charlotte Badger and Catherine Hagerty
Charlotte was considered the first Australian female pirate
Active: 186 AD
Territory: Tasmania, Australia
*Margaret Croke
Margaret and her husband, Edward Jordan, went to trial for piracy in the early 19th Century. Many accounts say that both were hanged, but the court report states only Edward was sentenced to death while Margeret was acquitted.
Active: 1809 AD
Territory: Canadian East Coast
*Johanna Hard
Sweden's last pirate; arrested with other crew in 1828; eventually disappeared.
Active: 1823 AD
Territory: Sweden
*Gertrude Imogene Stubbs (aliases: Gunpowder Gertie, The Pirate Queen of the Kootenays)
Often mistakenly reported as real because her story was reported in a local newspaper as an April Fool's Joke.
Active: Unknown
Territory: British Columbia, Canada
Lai Sho Sz'en (Alias: Lai Choi San)
Active: Commanded 12 ships in The South China Sea
Active: 1922-1939 AD
Territory: East China
*P'en Ch' ih Ch' iko and Ki Ming
Known by name only. No English stories or other sources documenting their lives seem to exist.
Active: 1920s- 1930s AD
Territory: East China
*Huang P' ei-mei
Led a crew of 50,000 pirates.
Active: 1937-1950s
Sources: Anient-origins.net, Annebonnypirate.com, Brittanica.com, herstorie.com, history.com, historynet.com, mentalfloss.com, republicofpirates.com, thewayofpirates.com, wikipedia.org, The Danish History, Books I-IX by Grammaticus Saxo, Daring Pirate Women by Anne Wallace Sharp, Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas by Laura Sook Duncombe.
Who is your favorite woman pirate? We really like Sadie the Goat. The idea of wearing your severed ear as part of a necklace has a special level of toughness to it. We hope this map and infographics have armed you with useful knowledge or helped increase your interest in pirates. We'd recommend some of the resources listed below if you'd like to study up on pirate history. If you'd like more pirate entertainment, why not check out a show like Black Sails or maybe watch some pirate movies. There's even a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie here in time for summer movie season. If not anything else, be sure to dress up in Pirate costumes for International Talk Like a Pirate Day this year! Yarr!
Design Credit: Brady Johnson
Sources: ancient-origins.net, annebonnypirate.com, brittannica.com, herstorie.com, history.com, historynet.com, mentalfloss.com, republicofpirates.com, thewayofthepirates.com, wikipedia.org, The Danish History, Books I-IX by Grammaticus Saxo, Daring Pirate Women by Anne Wallace Sharp, Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas by Laura Sook Duncombe
