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- Herausgeber: Clink Street Publishing
- Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
- Sprache: Englisch
Pirates have existed since men first traded at sea and, in the 18th century, two extraordinary women, MARY READ and ANNE BONNY, chose to reject their humdrum lives to seek daring pirating adventures and acquire wealth beyond their wildest dreams. They first meet on the pirate ship Revenge where a close friendship quickly develops. Both prove to be brave and fearsome fighters, accumulating large quantities of gold, silver and jewels. Eventually captured, tried and convicted for piracy, they are sentenced to life imprisonment. Here they are subjected to terrifying ordeals and appalling cruelty. Escape seems impossible until they spot a chance opportunity. Could this be the moment that leads them to freedom - a return to their swashbuckling careers or a time to change direction and finally realize the value from their hidden treasure?
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Seitenzahl: 384
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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The Lady Pirates
Robert Cort
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“In honest service, there are commonly low wages and hard labour, but being a pirate there’s plenty of food, drink, pleasure and ease, liberty and power. A merry life and a short one, that’s my motto.”
Bartholomew Roberts (‘Black Bart’), pirate captain, 1722.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
In the 17th and 18th centuries there were many pirates who sailed the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, but two women, Mary Read and Anne Bonny, were said to be more ruthless than most of the male buccaneers at sea. Indeed, they would probably cut the throats of any person who disagreed.
They dressed in men’s clothing and committed unspeakable atrocities, all to demonstrate their power and to obtain large hoards of gold, silver and jewels. Their adventures have been written into history, but their hidden treasure may have never been found.
Eventually captured by the British authorities, Mary and Anne were tried at the court in Spanish Town, Jamaica. There, in front of a packed public gallery, their cases were heard. To be convicted of piracy, the result would always be… the sentence of death!
Hauled from the court, all convicted pirates would be taken back to their cell and await their destiny… the announced date of their public execution! Their futures now certain, their lives would soon end… whilst ‘dancing the hempen jig’.
When Mary and Anne were brought into court, there was a gasp from the crowd in the public gallery. Despite being scruffily dressed, it was obvious to everyone that both were ‘with child’. Chained by their ankles and wrists, Mary, aged 34, and Anne, just 23, were terrified and alone. Both just stared downwards, despairingly, resigned to their ultimate fate.
Their case was heard in the crumbling old wooden court building, which had certainly seen better days. Situated in the heart of old Spanish Town, some said the sultry courtroom smelled of death and decaying bodies, others said it was the gateway to Hell. For both Mary and Anne, it was the end of the road, the end of their plunderings galore.
The prosecution made its presentation, listing the many crimes both women had committed. Both Mary and Anne 8listened but offered little defence. The court suddenly fell silent and all eyes were fixed on ‘his honour’.
The judge sat aloft, his aged and hollow-cheeked face was wrinkled and grey. His merciless dark brown eyes glared all around the courtroom and then he fixed his stare on the two bedraggled women. He adjusted his long white wig, clasped his wizened hands together and made the following pronouncement:
“Ye and both of ye are adjudged and found guilty of piracy. You are sentenced to death. You will be taken back to the place from whence you came. From there you’ll be taken to a place of execution where you’ll be hanged by the neck until all breathing has ceased… or until your neck is irreparably snapped.”
This decision immediately brought an outcry from the gallery. “No woman in their expectant state should ever be punished by death,” the crowd yelled. They stamped their feet and three women waved their fists at the judge.
Mary and Anne stared at each other in total disbelief. Mary immediately pleaded leniency… due to ‘the belly’.
The judge hit his gavel several times to try to recover some semblance of order. Gradually the occupants of the public gallery quietened. The judge reminded everyone that this was a court of law. He stared back towards Anne and Mary for a few seconds and everyone held their breath. He then announced he’d changed his conviction decision. Both punishments were commuted from hanging… to a whole life sentence in the Spanish Town prison!
Prison life in Spanish Town was harsh and often very cruel, and the two women suffered more than most men. Mary Read’s young child died at birth, but there are no consistent records of what became of Mary. One historical report says she died of a fever, another suggested she was eventually hanged!
Of the outcome of Anne Bonny, or indeed her child, again nothing for certain is known. Some reports say she died in prison, not long after her daughter was born. Another says her father purchased her release. The one thing that is absolutely true is that both women’s names subsequently disappeared from all 9historical records. Nobody knows for certain what really happened to them.
That is… until now!
The two women’s backgrounds couldn’t have been more different. Anne was born near the town of Cork in Ireland. She was the illegitimate daughter of local lawyer William Cormac and his maid, Mary Brennan. When Anne was born in 1697, Cormac was worried and panicked. He decided to dress Anne as a boy and tried to pass off this ‘boy’ to the Cork community as the son of a relative. Cormac also tried to gain credit when he announced he’d volunteered to raise the ‘boy’ in his legal practice. Unfortunately, his efforts to hide Anne’s true gender, and keep his indiscretion a secret from his wife, suddenly backfired. When young Anne was old enough to speak, she innocently told a visitor she was a girl! Cormac’s reputation and career were both shattered overnight. He could no longer make a living in his town and made the decision to move away, taking with him both Anne and Mary Brennan. He decided to take his new family to the New World and when they arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina, Anne was dressed as their daughter. Anne Cormac grew up as a strong and often outspoken woman. She told Mary Read, later in life, that when she was aged 15, she so violently beat a man who had tried to rape her that she’d almost murdered him!
Anne became very difficult for her father to handle and after she’d married without his consent, she was thrown out of the family’s South Carolina home. At just 16 years of age, she had married James Bonny, a sailor, who was described as lazy, useless and a general good-for-nothing. Anne was not in love with Bonny, she just saw him as her chance to escape from her tyrannical father and his repressive world. Bonny took his new wife to Nassau, on the island of New Providence. Just one of the cluster of islands that make up the Bahamas archipelago. Nassau, had a menacing reputation as a tough human settlement… a haven for marauding pirates! 10‘Calico’ Jack Rackham, previously a pirate under Captain Charles Vane on the ship Ranger, had now become the captain of his own pirate ship, Revenge. Rackham got the nickname of Calico Jack because of the multi-coloured clothes he wore. However, following the 1717 Royal Proclamation by King George, which promised an ‘Act of Grace’ for any pirate who volunteered to give up their life of piracy, Jack Rackham, now aged 37, decided to take up the king’s offer. Jack ‘retired’ in Nassau and was living off his ill-gotten gains. Then in 1719, he met Anne. She told him she was desperate to leave her lazy and persistently philandering husband. The local authorities said a divorce would not be allowed and Anne was threatened with prison if she didn’t return to her husband and their family home. She had no intention of suffering either of these fates so she and Rackham returned to his ship, Revenge. Rackhamcollected together a number of his old crewand they sailed away from Nassau. Captain Calico Jack Rackham was returning to his former life… as a cut-throat pirate.
On board Revenge, Anne initially dressed as a man. Women found aboard a ship were deemed to be ‘bad luck’, so only Jack knew her true sex.
Anne knew that to be accepted as a man by the rest of the crew, she would need to be a pirate as well. This suited her as she wanted a new and exciting life, to seek the same adventures and wealth that Rackham had acquired. He regularly recounted colourful tales and stories about his previous pirate life… and all his exhilarating experiences!
Living in England, Mary Read’s mother was previously married to a sailor to whom she had borne a son. However, some months after her husband’s disappearance at sea, she became pregnant again, this time by a man she hardly knew. In order to hide her shame from her in-laws, she and her son moved to the countryside, where she planned to have the illegitimate baby in the home of a friend. However, at about the same time as the birth of baby Mary, her son suddenly died. Mary and her mother continued to live in the countryside alone until they ran 11out of money. Left penniless and desperate, her mother initially decided to dress Mary in her brother’s clothes in an attempt to convince her mother-in-law that Mary was actually her grandson. She pleaded with her mother-in-law for money to help support her grandchild. The mother-in-law agreed and Mary grew up wearing only boy’s clothes. That arrangement continued until the mother-in-law died. By now Mary had become a teenager and once again the family’s income had dried up. Mary was sent out to work and found employment as a foot-boy for a French woman in a local town. Mary, however, had her own dreams. Dreams of adventures, wealth and a family. So, when Mary outgrew this foot-boy’s position, she joined the army and became a successful soldier. She then joined a cavalry regiment where she fell in love with one of her fellow soldiers, a man named Tommy. While sharing a tent with Tommy, Mary decided to disclose her true sex. Tommy was ecstatic and their relationship subsequently bloomed. During the next lull in the war, they both obtained permission to leave the army camp. With several of the regiment’s fellow soldiers in attendance, they were duly married.
After successfully being discharged from the army the couple started a new career. They chose to work together at an inn. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last long because Tommy died of a fever. Mary was distraught, her heart broken. Downcast and disillusioned with her life, she eventually stowed away on the merchant ship, Tusk. It was heading for the New World. Unfortunately, during the journey across the Atlantic, the Tusk was captured by pirates who were sailing the infamous ship, Adventure.
With no definite plans, or employment lined up in the New World, Mary dressed again in men’s clothes. She changed her name to Mark Read and decided to join the pirate crew. She was given a short-barrelled flintlock pistol, knife and a cutlass sword and was told to practise their use every day. She became very proficient at wielding the sword and fought bravely in battles and conflicts against her opponents.
Several months later, the Adventure arrived in Nassau and Mary went ashore. After a brief stay on the island, she decided to join 12a group of privateers, who’d all been hired by the latest Bahamas governor, Woodes Rogers. These privateers were no more than legal mercenaries who’d been given a licence from the British government to loot any merchant ship owned by an enemy of Britain.
Not long after the privateers’ ship had set sail the crew decided to mutiny against the captain and become a band of pirates. Mary now found herself on yet another pirate ship and was once again enjoying the pirate life and realising new financial rewards. However, she quickly realised that whilst the mutineers were enjoying their new adventures as pirates at sea, they were not sufficiently organised, brave or skilled enough to win many serious fights. Indeed, they easily lost their fourth encounter, their first serious battle, when only six of their crew survived. Mary had fought bravely and, still dressed in men’s clothes, she was recognised by the vanquishing captain for her courage and skills with the sword. She and the remaining five survivors were all taken aboard the victorious ship. It was on this new vessel where Mary’s life would change… forever. She had joined the crew of Calico Jack’s infamous pirate ship, Revenge.
Over the coming months the Revenge successfully attacked many merchant ships and Spanish galleons carrying gold, silver and jewels. Mary had become a serious fighter and fought like the most bloodthirsty of men. She was brave, skilful and fearless. Killing became a habit and she was rewarded with wealth beyond her wildest dreams!
It was in the summer of 1720 that the two female pirates finally spoke to each other for the first time. Mary, dressed, as usual, as a male sailor, was now 33 years of age. However, she looked like a much younger ‘man’. On one quiet evening, whilst she was patrolling the poop deck and fulfilling her ‘watch’ duties, Anne approached her. She was also dressed as a male sailor but still had her own female desires. They chatted and Anne tried to seduce the sailor she knew as Mark Read. She was convinced ‘he’ was a young and attractive male. It was at this point that Mary was forced to share her secret in order to avoid an awkward sexual encounter. Anne burst out laughing and decided to admit to her 13own gender. Afterwards, the two females became firm friends and Anne was the only person aboard the Revenge who knew of Mary’s secret. However, Rackham became both jealous and angry, due to the amount of time ‘his woman’, Anne, was spending with this ‘male’, Mark Read. At one point he even threatened to kill this ‘man’! It was only when Anne finally came clean and told Jack of Mary’s true sex, that Mary managed to survive.
On August 22nd, 1720, Calico Jack and his crew stole the prized ship, William. It was one of the fastest ships sailing in the Caribbean Sea. The crew had attacked and boarded the ship, looting it of all its treasure. Mary and Anne were exceedingly brave and, with the skilful use of daggers and swords, they maimed or killed a number of the male opposition. The William was a serious prize and became part of Rackham’s fleet. Its shallow draft hull was favoured by pirates in the Bahamas because the waters were too shallow for the larger man-of-war British Navy ships. Jack sailed the ship with pride as he could now fully employ the fleet’s hit-and-run tactics to full effect. They attacked and looted many merchant ships crossing the Caribbean Sea.
Although the two women pirates had little in common growing up, they’d now ended up on the same ship… and decided to share their plundered treasure together. Whilst neither were wholeheartedly keen on killing, or maiming their fellow human beings, they knew they existed in a world of ‘kill or be killed’! Survival, and the ultimate financial gains, depended on their commitment and skills whilst using their knives and swords. Indeed, they constantly felt they needed to demonstrate to the rest of the crew that they were neither lacking in confidence, nor competence, when it came to fighting the enemy.
Over subsequent months, both women continued to prove they were extremely capable fighters. It was the men in their crew who were always the casualties during the skirmishes and conflicts. Mary and Anne repeatedly overcame all opponents, managing to survive with just the odd cut or bruise.
To show his appreciation of Mary’s and Anne’s skilled use of the sword, Calico Jack decided to honour the ladies by designing 14a new flag for his ship. The traditional plain black flag, indicating the presence of a pirate ship, was amended and a white skull with two crossed swords was added and now appeared in the centre of the flag.
As a result of their continued survival and successes, Mary and Anne had accumulated huge quantities of gold, silver and jewels. Most of this treasure they decided to hide, burying them in two secret places on an islet close to Nassau: a coral cay called Hog Island!
Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, had a notorious reputation. It was one of many pirate sanctuaries in the Caribbean. From 1706 to 1718, Nassau was known as the ‘Republic of Pirates’ and was the stronghold of a loose confederacy run by privateers-turned-pirates. It was governed by an informal ‘Code of the Pirates’. One of the codes introduced a form of democracy whereby crews of the Republic would vote on who was going to be the ship’s captain and officers. It was also agreed that other pirate crews should always be treated with proper respect.
Pirate ships could often be found in or around Nassau. There they could collect both their supplies and any extra pirate crew they might need. Much of the plundered treasure was also hidden on the island and a proportion were used to help develop the thriving pirate town’s community.
Because of the large volume of looted treasure known to exist and be traded in Nassau, the town attracted adventurers, villains, traders and wild women from afar. There were plenty of taverns and much gold and silver was traded for money. The money was then exchanged in the bars for drink, gambling and sex. It was often said that when a pirate slept, he never fantasised of going to heaven. Instead, his pre-eminent dream was to return to his forever paradise on earth… the fabulous port of Nassau!
Like most pirates, Mary and Anne recorded the locations of their buried treasure on handwritten maps, which they kept secretly hidden amongst their belongings. Copies of these maps were also buried at a separate special place on Hog Island. Calico Jack, being the captain, and a pirate for more years than he could 15remember, had accumulated a larger collection of treasure than any member of his crew. Most of his treasure had also been secretly buried on different Caribbean islands, such as New Providence, Heneagua and Cuba. However, he’d also hidden another significant haul under the floorboards of a room he occupied in the Star Inn. This tavern was owned by Jack’s brother, and Jack and Anne sometimes stayed there when not on board ship. The tavern was located next to the harbour in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
What Jack didn’t know, however, was that during one evening, after he’d drunk far too much rum and passed out, Anne had taken the opportunity to make copies of all his treasure maps. The details of the map showing where his fortune was hidden in the Star Inn, she had committed to memory.
After several more months of reckless piracy, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, Mary Read and the rest of the crew, were eventually captured. They were easily apprehended by the British Navy when Rackham’s crew were caught out whilst overindulging with wine and rum late one evening. The Navy quietly boarded the ship where only Mary and Anne were able to fight gallantly. The rest of the crew were just too drunk to help!
All Rackham’s crew were rounded up and transported to Spanish Town, the capital of Jamaica. There they were thrown into gaol to await the date of their trial.
The fleet’s officers were all tried together, found guilty of piracy and hanged on the 18th November 1720. For Calico Jack, however, just to be hanged was not seen as sufficient punishment. He was not only hanged but gibbeted and put on display on a small islet near the harbour entrance of Port Royal. Its message was simple and the intention very clear, a harsh public reminder to any person who decided to become a pirate, this would be your punishment… this would be your torturous end.
Before Calico Jack’s execution, Anne Bonny was allowed into his cell to see and speak to him for one last time. There she told him, “I’m sorry to see you here, Jack, but if you’d fought like a man, you’d not now be hanged like a dog.”
CHAPTER 2
Following the judge’s revised conviction of life in prison due ‘to the belly’, Mary and Anne were dragged back in their chains to the court cell. They were neither elated nor relieved at the judge’s decision. Both sat quietly on a hard wooden bench. Mary contemplated her uncertain future, incarcerated behind bars… until when? Probably until she had finally rotted and died! How many years would that take?
Anne, with her head bowed and buried in her hands, started to sob. Mary gently put her right arm around her young friend’s shoulders, trying to comfort her in some small way. No words were said, none were needed. Both women now knew their own fate. They had both rejected honest employment, due to the low wages, hard labour, poor working conditions and the long hours endured at that time. Instead, they had freely entered into the world of piracy. Here they knew life could easily be cut short, but, conversely, it offered a new world of excitement, pleasure, liberty and wealth, plus lots of adventures and freedoms very few women would ever experience.
Yes, they’d been aware of all the risks. They’d even seen at first hand colleagues who’d had their lives cruelly curtailed or been seriously maimed for life. Such were the risks and rewards of a career as a ‘gentleman o’ fortune’… a pirate! For Mary and Anne it was the gold, silver and jewels they craved. But their buried treasure couldn’t help them in prison. All their wealth, dreams and ambitions had disappeared. Their futures, for certain, would now be dominated by torment, cruelty and nightmares!
Mary looked at the stone walls surrounding them. Grey, depressing and dank. Parts were covered with green slime and mould, thriving after decades of constant high tropical humidity and the sweat and tears of former occupants. There were no windows or access to fresh air.
For the first time since she’d stowed away on the ship leaving Liverpool, Mary now felt homesick. She thought of the English green grass and the fresh country air. The birds and animals her 17only friends during a lonely childhood. She was never going to see them again.
Early the next morning, the old oak cell door suddenly crashed open and three burly guards marched in. Mary and Anne were immediately awake and were horrified as they gazed towards the door. What was going to happen now!?
The lead guard was rugged with long black hair. He stared at the two women, smiled and announced, “Well, ladies, time to go to a better place!”
The two other guards smiled and made tiny grunts. They certainly knew the Spanish Town prison was not going to be a ‘better place’!
Mary and Anne’s chains were removed and they were both pushed towards the doorway. The lead guard led the way along an underground passageway, the walls thick with accumulated grime. Anne followed barefoot, tripping and slipping on the wet cobblestones. One of the other guards followed Anne, with Mary close behind. The final guard brought up the rear.
At the end of the passageway they turned right and started to climb up a set of wooden stairs. At the top the lead guard opened a large door and walked out into a small courtyard. The rest of the group soon followed. They immediately experienced the harsh glare of the blazing hot sun. Waiting for the women was a prison carriage with metal bars fixed into two small side windows. Two chestnut-coloured horses were tethered at the front. The lead guard grabbed a padlock hanging on the side of the carriage, and pulled open the door.
“In ’ere, ladies,” he shouted, standing back and keeping hold of the door.
Both women took deep breaths of fresh air. Anne shielded her eyes from the strong sunshine and looked around the courtyard for any possible route of escape. She quickly realised the courtyard was surrounded by high stone walls and a locked wooden gate.
The guard behind Anne pushed her forward and she reluctantly climbed aboard. Mary immediately followed and they both sat down on the hot, bare metal seats. 18
The lead guard slammed the door shut and secured it with the padlock. He climbed up onto the carriage and sat next to the driver. The two other guards stood on a platform at the rear of the carriage and clung on. The driver cracked his reins and the horses started to move. Another guard unlocked and opened the large wooden gate. The carriage was driven though the opening and out onto a narrow filthy lane. Shabby and decaying buildings were all the women could see from their windows. The stench of the excrement and urine thrown into the street was disgusting and nauseating.
The journey to Spanish Town’s prison was hot and sweaty. After a few minutes, the carriage turned and passed along the harbourfront. Mary and Anne stared out of their windows and tried to breathe in the wonderful, fresh sea air.
They gazed longingly at cargo ships loading their goods from the quay. They didn’t know where these ships were going, they didn’t care… they just knew any one of them could sail them away from their punishment… to freedom.
People stopped walking when the black coach slowly passed by. They immediately recognised the distinctive prison carriage and wondered who the poor souls were on board. They could only see two women’s sad and gloomy faces staring back at them. Who were these desolate and incarcerated people? What had they done that was so wrong?
Another few minutes and the carriage turned right and went down another narrow and foul thoroughfare. More chamber pots had been emptied from the nearby balconies onto the lane. Mary and Anne could, once again, smell the sickening stench. Halfway along the lane the carriage turned left and stopped outside two closed large wooden gates. Above the gates hung a painted sign announcing, Spanish Town Prison. This was the main entrance to the infamous gaol.
The lead guard jumped down from his seat and entered the gatehouse. Two minutes later the large wooden gates slowly opened inwards. The driver flicked the reins and the horses pulled the carriage through the open gateway, arriving in another small courtyard. 19
Mary took one last look out of the window and wondered if this would be her last view of the outside world… their last view of freedom. Anne buried her head in her hands again… and started to cry.
The driver stopped the horses outside a wooden doorway: access to the main prison building. Moments later, the lead guard stepped out through this door leaving it slightly ajar. He walked over to the carriage, unlocked the padlock and opened the carriage’s door. The two other guards now stood at his side.
“Welcome to your new ’ome, ladies,” said the lead guard, grinning through his thick, black beard. “Time to say goodbye to the outside world!” He waved his hand and pointed towards the building. “Welcome to a livin’ ’ell!”
Mary leaned out of the carriage and looked around. One of the guards gripped her by the arm and pulled her down from the carriage. She immediately fell to the ground. Anne slowly stepped down from the carriage and helped Mary to stand up. They both stared and were terrified at their new surroundings, not that there was very much to see. The sun was now higher in the clear blue sky and they watched as the two wooden gates gradually closed behind them… and were locked. The rest of the enclosure was protected by high stone walls.
“This way,” insisted the lead guard as he marched back towards the open door. After a push from the other two guards, Mary and Anne reluctantly followed.
They all entered a dark and dingy passageway, lit by just one burning candle. The air was slightly cooler but more humid and oppressive. They walked past a small office and several cells until the lead guard finally came to a stop. He looked through the tiny window of the cell door and shouted to the occupants to stand back. When he was happy with the result, he unlocked the door and pushed it open.
Mary and Anne were pushed forward. The lead guard stood back to give them room to enter the cell. Mary led the way with Anne following closely behind.
“Well, what we got ’ere then, boys?” said one of the inmates from the far side of the cell. 20
Mary and Anne were shocked and horror-struck. They looked back to the guard for help. Unfortunately, he just laughed and pulled the door closed. Seconds later they heard the key locking the door, and footsteps as the guards walked away.
The two women just stood and glared across the tiny cell. They were looking at three men! One was young, maybe the same age as Anne, with blond hair and dark-blue eyes. The other two were middle aged. Both had beards, long hair and were dressed in what could only be described as rags.
“Welcome to Shang-ri-la, ladies,” said one of the older men, revealing a golden tooth. He looked at their swollen stomachs. “So nice to ’ave the pleasure of such lovely company. Ain’t that right, Jimmy, me boy?”
“Sure is, Wally. Not seen such pretty wenches like these for a very long time. A very long time indeed!” Jimmy smiled and pointed to the young man. “This young scrag ’ere is Robbie. Want to tell us your names, dearies? Introduce yourselves to your new pals?”
Neither Mary nor Anne moved an inch, but then Mary decided to be friendly and not annoy the men. “I’m Mary and this is Anne,” she said hesitantly, pointing at Anne, who was partly hidden behind her.
“Well, what pretty names they are, for sure,” said Wally, flashing his golden tooth again. “I guess we’re all goin’ to be in ’ere for quite some time. Nice if we can all be good friends.”
“Those two blankets in that corner, that’s where you twos sleep,” said Jimmy, pointing to the far corner. “Unless you want to cuddle up with us instead!”
All three men laughed. Anne squeezed closer to Mary.
“What are the chains for?” asked Mary, who had spotted two sets of chains fixed to the far wall.
“We all gets chained up at night by the guards,” said Wally. “Stops us wandering off during the night and ’avin’ our fun.”
All three men laughed again.
Mary looked around the cell. Thick stone walls, cobbled floor, airless, oppressive and smelling of foul, dried sweat. A small 21barred window, above head height, was their only source of fresh air and respite from the awful stale stench. Five human beings incarcerated in a cramped and squalid room. What could be worse? she thought.
Mary walked across the cell towards the far corner. Anne tried to stay as tight to Mary as she could. Three pairs of eyes followed each step they made. Mary looked at the blankets, filthy, but at least they were dry.
“No feather mattress in ’ere, ladies,” said Wally walking towards their corner. “Just cool cobblestones to lay on, under your blanket.”
Anne sat down and pulled her knees close to her baby bulge. She leaned over and grabbed a blanket, pulling it over her bare legs. Mary looked at Wally and asked, “When do we get any food? We’ve not eaten today.”
“Not till later, but don’t ’old your breath. Pig swill t’is. No fine cooking in ’ere, me dear.”
Mary closed her eyes and tried desperately to hold back her tears. Could this get any more hopeless, wretched or miserable? She opened her eyes again and looked at the three men. Suddenly she felt Anne’s hand seizing her left leg. Looking down she saw Anne’s face distorted in terror and panic. My God, she thought, what a horrible place… and, I dare say, it’s all going to get a great deal worse!
CHAPTER 3
The minutes ticked into hours, then into days. Mary and Anne took it in turns to sleep and rest. They didn’t trust these men, despite their friendly talk.
It was after the first week that things began to change… and started to get worse. The men’s conversations became more explicit. Their hands took advantage of unguarded moments and then it was a full-on assault.
Wally and Robbie grabbed Mary and held her tight, whilst Jimmy used all his strength to rape Anne. The men laughed, whilst the women screamed, but nobody came to their rescue. Anne fought hard and scratched Jimmy’s face, but his strength was too much for her.
Over the next few weeks – or was it months? It seemed like years to Mary and Anne – Jimmy, Wally and Robbie took it in turns to abuse both women. They laughed as the women screamed and fought back, but to no avail. The men were too strong. Mary wished she had a sword or a knife, but she and Anne had nothing, except their hands and bare feet.
Early one morning the inmates were suddenly awoken by Mary’s startled scream. Blood was flowing from between her legs. Something’s wrong with the baby, thought Anne and cried for help. Even the men saw Mary’s distress and called the guard on duty in the corridor. The guard returned five minutes later with two colleagues, one male and one female. Wally, Jimmy and Robbie were taken out and moved temporarily into a neighbouring cell. This new cell was already occupied by five inmates, so it was a tight squeeze.
The prison governor lived on the prison premises with his wife. The governor’s wife had a limited amount of nursing skills, so it was her, with Anne’s assistance, who attended to Mary. It was about three hours later that the baby appeared, but there were no screams, shouts or wriggles. The baby was cold, still and dead. The nurse said the baby probably died some days before. Mary was washed and patched up as best as the nurse could manage. 23
The governor’s wife was about to leave Mary in Anne’s sole care, when Anne begged her for help to get her and Mary transferred to another cell. She was sympathetic, but told Anne it was not within her power. She promised she’d speak to her husband, but she already knew all the remaining cells were full.
After the governor’s wife had left the cell it was another two hours before Wally, Jimmy and Robbie reappeared. Anne pleaded with the guard for her and Mary to be relocated to another cell, but the guard just waved his hand and pulled the door to. Seconds later, she heard the familiar click of the lock.
Anne stared at the three male inmates. Her face was a picture of loathing, bitterness and hatred. Slowly she crept back towards Mary, who was now fast asleep on her blanket.
The three men stood quietly and watched as Anne sat down next to her friend. They were genuinely feeling some remorse, but none of them apologised. They just sat down on the cobblestone floor and stared at Anne.
Two weeks later the governor’s wife was called again. This time it was Anne’s turn to produce her, and Calico Jack’s, baby. This time a healthy girl was born. Within an hour, however, the baby was taken away and Anne never saw her daughter again.
Anne was distraught, but she knew the rules. Both she and Mary had been told when they’d first entered the prison that their babies would be taken away, unless Mary and Anne could name a family member who would be prepared to take care of them. They’d both said they didn’t have any family members living close by.
It was four weeks later when a new prison guard called Jacob first appeared. From that moment onwards Anne and Mary’s lives became slightly more bearable. Jacob, a 25-year-old giant of a man, with long black hair and matching beard, took pity on the women and became Anne’s friend. He promised to protect both her and Mary and threatened all sorts of punishment to any male prisoner if either of the two women were harmed or touched again.
Wally decided to ignore Jacob’s threat and tried his chances with Anne. In the middle of the night he crawled over and 24grabbed Anne’s breasts. Anne was immediately awake and screamed out aloud. Immediately, Mary, Jimmy and Robbie were alarmed and awake. Jacob unlocked the door and smashed it back against the wall. He strode over to where Wally was lying and picked him up as though he was the weight of a straw doll. He threw him against the wall and Wally crashed to the ground. Jacob picked him up again, and, whilst he held him by his rags in his left hand, he hit him hard in the stomach with his right fist. Wally groaned, was dazed and was about to be sick when he felt Jacob’s fist hit him again, this time on his jaw. Jacob threw him back onto the floor and went over to check on Anne.
The big man bent down and asked in a kindly voice, “Are you okay?”
Mary, now protecting Anne, had put her arms around her friend’s shoulders.
“Yes. I’m okay. Thank you for helping,” Anne replied.
Jacob smiled and stood up. He looked at the crumpled heap that was Wally and then to Jimmy and Robbie and said. “Let that be a lesson. Tell that bastard the next time he tries anything with either of these women, I won’t be so lenient.”
Jimmy and Robbie were terrified. They nodded and looked across at Wally. He was unconscious and both wondered if he was dead.
More weeks went by and the three male inmates kept as far away from Mary and Anne as possible. Wally’s stomach still ached and he kept having severe pains in his head.
Mary and Anne became more relaxed, and after a long, quiet discussion, they formulated a plan. A scheme that, if fulfilled, would ultimately get them out of the prison for good!
Anne spoke to Jacob privately and said she would offer him ‘favours’ if, in return, he promised to continue to protect them and arrange for them to receive better food. This arrangement happened and Mary and Anne felt far more secure and comfortable in their cell. The food they received was also much more palatable. Their fellow inmates became jealous, but were afraid to complain. 25
Jacob had arranged with the prison’s governor for Anne and Mary to be able to have time away from the cell and from the intimidation of their male inmates. This was just an excuse for Jacob and Anne to meet up for their sexual meetings in any empty cell available. The second part of the women’s plans was to persuade Jacob to help them escape. It was after one of their ‘encounters’ that the next stage of the plan was proposed. Anne offered Jacob wealth beyond his wildest dreams, but only if he helped their escape.
Jacob considered the matter and thought it probably could be done, so he promised Anne he would think of a way. To help convince Jacob, she told him that all the gold and jewels she’d promised him were hidden in a building close to Spanish Town’s harbour… not far from the prison.
Over the following two weeks a plan between Jacob and Anne was discussed and finally agreed.
It was 2am on a dark, but very warm, early January morning, when Jacob silently unlocked Anne and Mary’s cell door. The three male prisoners were chained and fast asleep, but Mary and Anne were wide awake. Jacob quietly tip-toed over to where Anne and Mary were chained to the cell wall. Trying to avoid waking the other three sleeping prisoners, he carefully and gently released Anne and Mary from their shackles. All three then quietly left the cell and Jacob relocked the door.
Jacob led the way down a candlelit corridor. Anne and Mary followed closely behind. Their hearts were racing and perspiration dripped from their brows. They all stopped at a junction with another corridor. The far walls were grimy and dark, lit by a single burning candle. Jacob had rehearsed this escape route several times and now he felt he could almost follow it blindfolded. All was clear, so they progressed, anxious, hearts thumping and fingers crossed.
At the end of the corridor, they arrived at the most difficult part of the route. Jacob slowly eased his head forwards to look around the corner and down the next passageway. He knew two guards were always stationed just a few yards away. It was all quiet bar the usual snoring of prisoners. 26
Jacob could now see the two guards. They appeared to be asleep on their chairs. One had his head laid back and his mouth wide open. Jacob held up one hand, and with the other, placed his finger to his lips, indicating that the women should stand still and be quiet. Mary, sweating and her heart racing, noticed green mould growing on the wall close to where she was standing. She grimaced and quietly stepped away. Jacob turned his head and gazed along the other side of the dark passageway. Just one candle was burning to illuminate the corridor. All was still calm and quiet. There were no other noises or signs of more guards.
Jacob, Anne and Mary slowly tip-toed towards the sleeping guards. All held their breath and stared at the two snoozing bodies as they squeezed past and alongside the far wall. Suddenly one of the guards grunted and shifted his body, but still appeared to be asleep. Mary and Anne were frozen to the spot, eyes wide open. Jacob grabbed Anne’s arm and, slowly, they moved on.
Eventually they arrived at the end of the corridor where it joined another passageway. Jacob, as quietly as possible, stepped across the cobblestones towards the far wall. This was one of the building’s perimeter walls. Two more steps and he was standing in front of a thick oak door. An exit which would lead them outside and to freedom!
Anne and Mary anxiously watched as Jacob removed a key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. Slowly twisting it, he suddenly stopped when he heard a low-squeaking sound coming from the lock. He stopped and waited, his heart pounding. The temperature was hot and the air heavy and humid. His clothes were now sticking to his body and he wiped the perspiration from his brow.
There was still no sign of any inquisitive guards. After a few moments he continued to slowly turn the key, this time praying the lock would yield without any further noise. Suddenly the lock clicked and he gently pushed on the door with his shoulder. He had earlier applied candle wax to the hinges so when the door moved there were no creaking sounds to be heard. 27
He looked through a small gap then pushed the door further ajar. The reflected soft glow of moonlight was illuminating part of the lane. Nearby buildings were casting shadows onto the lane’s grimy surface. Jacob stepped outside and looked ahead. The cooler air immediately felt fresher on his face. At the far end of the lane, hidden in the shadows, he could see the silhouette of a stationary horse-drawn carriage; its driver waved a candlelit lantern. Illuminated by moonlight, Jacob waved back. The carriage slowly began to move forwards, pulled by a single horse.
Jacob turned around, checked the corridor once more, and then gestured for the two women to come across and join him. Mary grabbed Anne’s hand and together they moved anxiously towards the doorway. Jacob pointed to the horse-drawn carriage slowly approaching. The women looked both ways and then made a dash over the mud and cobblestones towards it. Mary opened the door and they both clambered in. Jacob quietly closed and relocked the prison door, before he also darted towards the carriage. After climbing aboard he silently eased the door closed and sat down next to the two women. They were all breathing deeply and stared at each other, their faces conveying a mixture of shock and elation. Jacob looked through the window and back up the lane, pleased that nobody was following.
Anne’s heart was still pounding. She couldn’t believe they were free. Mary covered her face with her hands and gave a deep sigh of relief.
The carriage continued its slow pace in the direction of the harbour.
Ten minutes later, Anne leaned out of the carriage window and asked the driver to pull up outside the dark wooden building coming up on the right-hand side. A painted wooden sign, consisting of a white star on a black background, was hanging from a wooden frame above the entrance door. It was slowly rocking back and forth, due to the gentle sea breeze, making a low rhythmic creaking sound.
