The mixed pirate crew led by Rackham managed to temporarily evade the authorities, and they plundered the merchant ships in the waters around the Bahamas and a wide arc of shipping routes from Bermuda to Hispaniola. Rogozinski notes, in the case of Bonny and Read, "the pirates tolerated the women because they made themselves available to everyone in Rackham’s small crew" (33). Indeed, many pirate captains created articles that strictly prohibited women and young boys on board their ships to avoid any squabbles over sexual favours or predatory behaviour. Rackham's crew certainly made for an unusual band of renegades at a time when women at sea were a real rarity. Both Bonny and Read dressed as male mariners when in battle and fought with pistols. Following one capture, another woman was added to the pirate crew, Mary Read. A Madeira merchant ship, for example, was returned to its captain once Rackham had taken what loot he desired. At least Rackham and his crew did not have a reputation for excessive violence and mistreating their captives. The booty taken was usually cargoes like tobacco, coconuts, peppers, and sugar, which were sold on to dealers in the pirate havens. No large prizes were taken, and some of their victims were mere fishing boats. 'Calico Jack' and Bonny, with their total crew of fewer than 20 men and a limited number of captures, were relatively small-time pirates. On 5 September, Governor Rogers issued a warrant for the arrest of Rackham. The William had four large cannons, two small swivel cannons, and plenty of ammunition. Rackham then returned to piracy when he and Anne left the Bahamas in August 1719 in the William, a 12-ton single-masted sloop they had captured in the port of New Providence. Rackham’s Jolly Roger flag, used to warn victims to surrender without resistance, was unusual with two crossed cutlasses beneath a white skull on a black background.īonny & Rackham had a child, but this was abandoned in Cuba where Bonny had spent the latter part of her pregnancy. Rackham’s nickname was 'Calico Jack' because of his preference for plain 'calico' cotton (from Calcutta, India) clothes rather than the silks and velvet clothing other pirate captains preferred. Meanwhile, Rackham continued with his own acts of piracy. Vane was eventually rescued from a desert island, but he was taken to prison and hanged. Vane was left to leave in another ship, but this was then shipwrecked. It may have been that the quarrel was not really about cowardice but was over Rackham not wanting to share out the liquor which was amongst the Kingston’s cargo. On a charge of cowardice, Vane was voted out, and Rackham was promoted to captain. His crew had wanted to attack and so after a period of no prizes being taken, they eventually mutinied in the spring of 1719. In November 1718, Vane refused to attack a well-armed French frigate in the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola. Vane was known as a cruel pirate captain who dished out punishments such as keelhauling, and he faced accusations of not sharing out his plunder fairly amongst his crew. Vane operated a small fleet of pirate ships and Rackham commanded the English prize vessel Kingston.
RACKHAM & BONNY, WITH THEIR TOTAL CREW OF FEWER THAN 20 MEN, WERE RELATIVELY SMALL-TIME PIRATES.
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