There's no special term for a woman pirate technically, a woman pirate is still a pirate.
Women pirates were a relatively rare occurrence but nether-the-less some female pirates did exist. Women were considered to be an undesirable addition to a pirate ship. All famous pirates had their own Pirate Code of Conduct which was agreed between the crew and Captain. These codes were governed by their own laws, called Articles. Article VI of the Pirate Code agreed by Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart) and his pirate crew in the Shipboard Articles of 1721 stated:
- No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death.
Women were known to get over such codes by cross-dressing. Females dressed as men in order to seek their fortune, or to follow husbands to sea. The most famous women pirates included Anne Bonney and Mary Read.
The most famous woman pirates were:
- Anne Bonny (1719-1720) Female Pirate of the Caribbean
- Mary Read - Famous English Female Pirate of the Caribbean
- Lady Killigrew (1530-1570)
- Grace O’Malley - Famous Irish woman pirate who commanded three galleys and 200 men
- Mrs. Peter Lambert of Aldeburgh, Suffolk
- Jacquotte Delahaye - Female Pirate of the Caribbean
- Anne Dieu-le-veut - Female Pirate of the Caribbean
- Charlotte de Berry - Woman pirate
- Mrs Ching - Chinese wife of a pirate who turned to Piracy after his death
- Mary Crickett (or Crichett) was a female pirate who was hung
When you think of pirates, you're likely picturing bearded buccaneers or peg-legged scalawags with names like Blackbeard, Barbarossa, and Calico Jack. While most pirates were men, there were women in these ranks of raiders who were just as merciless, notorious, and feared. Spanning the globe and centuries, Mentalfloss.com introduce you to the infamous she-pirates of the seven seas.