The (Lady) Pirates of the Carribbean

Punch Magazine published its first edition on 17th July, 1841. Subtitled ‘the London Charivari’, the weekly periodical aimed to carve a niche in the market with less crude and bawdy satire compared to its contemporaries. Its early days were challenging, with poor circulation and ...  Show more

Kissing was a big deal in the Middle Ages: for signing contracts, for greeting colleagues, and for showing deference to the King - a tradition that ended on 16th July, 1439, when Henry VI issued a decree imploring his citizens to stop kissing his ring. Some 400 years before the m ...  Show more

Anne Bonny and Mary Read were pirates who sailed the Caribbean in the early 18th century. For both of them, piracy offered a chance at a freedom otherwise disallowed to women.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb learns more ab ...

Yo ho ho, a pirate’s life for me - but what is a pirate’s life, and what was it like for women?This is the story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, a pair of reputably vicious pirates, and their journeys onto and across the seas.With the help of Julie Walker, author of 'Bonny & Read', ...  Show more

During the Golden Age of Piracy, two women terrorized the Caribbean alongside some of the most infamous pirates of the day. Dispelling the old sea superstitions of having women on board, Anne Bonny and Mary Read proved to be even more cutthroat than the men they sailed with. Lear ...  Show more

Anne Bonny and Mary Read may have been the two most famous lady pirates, but they certainly weren't the only ones. History is full of women taking to the sea and ruthlessly taking what they want. Jeanne de Clisson, Sayyida al Hurra, and Grace O'Malley are three more successful wo ...  Show more