Who are we?
We are a collective of stayed reenactors based in and around the South East of England, West Country and Wales, between us we have a more than 150 years experience.
Within Bonnys Buccaneers are two groups The Erpyngham Retinue and The Company of Ordinance, both groups operate individually in their own right for organisations such as English Heritage and National Trust.
We found that reenacting living history on a permanent basis for our clients did not allow us the freedom to "play" at what we do and needed an opportunity to relax and have fun as they say "a change is as good as a rest". After musing the situation we decided to add another time period to our repartees and decide on pirates.
We wanted to have fun and decided that our shows would be more light-hearted and took "Pirates of the Caribbean" as an example with comedy and entertainment our main goal and so Bonnys Buccaneers were formed.
We also wanted some form of factual basis to our group and decided to have both real and fictitious characters in our shows giving the solid base of history to our events and a light-hearted element of fantasy.
We feel we have achieved our aims and are sure that if you want a good fun pirate show then Bonnys Buccaneers are for you. Below you will find profiles of some of the characters you will meet at our shows.
Some the players
Click on their name for a profile
| Anne Bonny | Calico Jack | Mary Read | Thomas Tew | Stede Bonnet |
Anne Bonny 
Anne was born in Ireland, an illegitimate child of prominent lawyer, William Cormac, and the family maid, Peg Brennan (my best guess at the year of birth is around 1700-1705, marriable age was around 13-14, if the marriage to Bonny lasted 1-3 years and time with Rackham at about the same that would have made her somewhere between 15-20 at the time of the trial). Her father fled the scandal surrounding the birth taking mother and child with him to Charleston, South Carolina. Although the father prospered as a merchant in the colonies, he and the mother appear to have been somewhat less successful as parents. Anne was troublesome, headstrong and ill-tempered. While many of the stories were exaggerated, they include a stabbing incident with a servant girl and the sound thrashing of a would be rapist.
Anne eventually married the unsuccessful James Bonny. The marriage faired poorly as James, taking his wife to the pirate haven of New Providence, had a hard time supporting his wife. He eventually turned informer for the new governor, Woodes Rogers, further alienating his headstrong wife. Disillusioned with her husband, Anne transferred her affections to the peacock like figure of Calico Jack Rackham. Rackham returned Anne's affections by lavishing her with gifts. When James Bonny refused Rackham's offer to buy Anne, the couple snuck aboard a merchant sloop with a handful of Rackham's old pirate buddies and took over the ship. Thus began Anne's pirate career.
While Calico Jack looked the part of the dashing pirate, his career was somewhat lacklustre, at least after taking up with Anne. The prizes taken seem to have been mostly coastal traders and fishing boats. Mary Read seems to have joined the pirates when a Dutch trader she was serving on was taken by the pirates. At some point during Anne's sojourn with Calico Jack she is said to have gotten pregnant and have been set ashore in Cuba to deliver the baby. She was later picked up and carried on with Rackham as before.
In late October, 1720, off the coast of Jamaica, a British Navy sloop, commanded by a Captain Barnet, came across Rackham's anchored ship. With most of the crew drunk the only resistance the pirates put up was offered by Anne and Mary. Realizing that the fight was lost the women turned on their less than courageous crewmates, killing one and wounding others, screaming at them to 'fight like men'. Anne and the others of the pirate crew were captured and put on trial for piracy. All were sentenced to death, but Anne and Mary escaped the noose by pleading their bellies (no English court would kill an unborn child).
Anne seems to have disappeared from the world's stage at this point, there is some conjecture that her wealthy father bought her release after the birth of the child.
Anne's child, born five months after the trial, on April 21, 1721, was named John Cormac Bonny. John Rackham seems to have been listed as the illegitimate child's father. After the child's birth the mother and child return to Virginia via South Carolina. There are some records that imply that she married a Joseph Burleigh at this time, 1721. It is guessed that this marriage was arranged by Anne's father to get her started upon a clean slate when she returned (one can only imagine the dowry required to get a man to marry a woman reputed to be such a wildcat). The Anne thus recorded gave birth to eight more children with her husband, three of whom died young. This Anne is said to have died on April 25, 1782 (which would have put her age at somewhere around 70-80) and was buried in a place called Sweethaven (possibly in York County, Virginia).
 John Rackham |
 His flag |
John Rackham became better known as "Calico Jack" during a short but very successful career as a Pirate Captain.
During barely a four year tumultuous period he and his crew achieved a highly acclaimed fame as ruthless and ferocious Pirates throughout the Caribbean and the West Indies. The high points of Calico Jack's short but eventful career can be summarized into just a few words, he first achieved prominence when he deposed Charles Vane as Captain of the Pirate ship the Treasure, then in 1717 he smuggled Anne Bonny to sea disguised as a man where the duo were soon joined by a further female Pirate, Mary Read, Calico Jack's Lieutenant who revealed her true identity in response to advances from Anne Bonny. He then successfully led the capture of a large and rich Spanish Man-o-war ship and finally, was captured by the King's ship, the Barnet, a Pirate hunter. After trial he was hanged in Jamaica in 1720. A very final end to a short but highly flamboyant and ruthless career.
John Rackham ranks as one of the most notorious of pirates. Whilst not as well known as Captain Morgan his high-seas Pirate exploits are equally as notorious as his sexual exploits and the unusual comings and goings that took place aboard his ship, the Adventure. Nicknamed "Calico Jack" for the shirt and breeches of white calico sailcloth he habitually wore, he was a fearful rogue backed up by two of the fiercest Pirates of their time ... Anne Bonny & Mary Read.
The first mention of John Rackham is in 1717 as Charles Vane's quartermaster aboard the Treasure. He first gained real prominence when Vane failed to raid a promising French vessel and Calico Jack, caused the crew to mutiny and deposed Vane as Captain. There followed a brief but successful career highlighted by his duo of deadly female Pirates. The two ladies were widely feared by the crew and were responsible for the deaths of many Sailors including shipmates that crossed their path.
After falling in love with Anne in New Providence, Calico Jack and Anne Bonny unable to separate ran away to sea after Anne's husband had tried to stop their association with the intervention of the Governor. Smuggling her aboard the ship dressed as a man, they continued their romance in secret whilst Anne established her reputation as a fearsome Pirate. Unfortunately, Anne's wanton nature caused her to actively pursue sexual liaisons with other crew members, eventually setting her sights on the most feared Pirate on board, Mary Read. To the surprise of both Mary Read was herself disguised as a man and this was the start of the fearsome trio's sexual & Pirating exploits.
Unfortunately it appears that Calico Jack did not take well to Anne's flirtatious nature and his command and authority appeared to slide. Seeking solace in innumerable bottles of rum, Anne and Mary assumed the real leadership roles aboard the ship as women since they no longer had to hide their true sex with the pretence of masculinity. The ignoble end to the exploits of Calico Jack occurred when the ship was eventually cornered by a King's vessel captained by Barnet, subjected to a hail of cannon fire, Calico Jack Rackham and his crew were easily captured. The moment of battle occurred at a very opportune time as most of the crew including Calico Jack were languishing in the hold the worse for wear from an alcoholic binge. Only Anne Bonny and Mary Read attempted to resist the attack, the rest of the crew were below decks in the depths of a drunken stupor.
Transported in irons to Jamaica for trial, Calico Jack and his crew were tried on November 16, 1720, before Sir Nicholas Laws. Despite repenting his Pirate acts as he had successfully done previously, Calico Jack Rackham was not spared and was hanged at Gallows Point, Port Royal later that same year.
 Mary Read |
 Hover over image for more information |
Mary Read was born in England, some where in the country, although some tales put her birth in London and one says Devonshire around 1685. She was born illegitimate as her mother's husband had been away at sea too long to have been the rightful father. Mary had an older brother, who died soon after her birth. The mother in financial difficulties and living off a stipend from her mother-in-law, sought to disguise Anne as the now dead infant brother in order to stay in the dame's good graces and continue the support. In this day and time it would not have been terribly difficult, given the clothing and limited personal interaction. Eventually the mother-in-law died and Mary was forced to seek employment as a French lady's foot-boy at the age of thirteen.
It was not long before Mary signed on a man-of-war and made her way to Flanders to carry arms in a foot regiment, although she gained the respect of her peers she could not gain a commission and changed to a horse regiment. This is where she fell in love with a young and handsome (one has to wonder how much of this is just embellishment) Fleming. She contrived to let him know of her sex and without going into a load of speculation as to their relationship, they fell in love and married. Gifts were given by many in the regiment and the newlyweds bought an eating house or ordinary, named the Three Trade Horses (another account has it named The Three Horseshoes and places it in Breda, Holland). The happiness was fleeting as the young man soon died of fever and the Peace of Ryswick reduced the traffic through the area.
Mary again donned male attire and set to sea in a Dutch merchant bound for the West Indies, after a short stint in a Dutch foot regiment. Here accounts differ somewhat, some say that Mary's ship was taken by unnamed pirates and some say her ship was taken by Jack Rackham's ship. It is possible that she may have married in the West Indies and have taken advantage of the King's Pardon around 1709. Regardless of which, she signed with the pirates and eventually made it to New Providence and eventually joined up with Rackham and Anne Bonny as privateers against the Spanish. Privateering soon gave way to piracy. This eventually led to the meeting with Captain Jonathan Barnet in late October of 1720 off the coast of Jamaica, where that fateful scene in which the two women were the only resistance to capture as the rest of the crew hid below decks either drunk or recovering from a drunk.
Along the way Mary fell in love with one of the men on board ship and again contrived to disclose her secret to this man. In another incident Anne Bonny took Mary to be a handsome gent and flirted with her, involving Rackham's jealousy and revealing the true nature of both Anne's and Mary's sex to the three. Yet another incident relates how Mary's paramour became involved in a challenge to a duel, and Mary provoking a similar challenge for an hour earlier to prevent her lover from being harmed.
Account again differ as to the events of the trial, some say Mary's lover was hanged, some say he was set free as having been forced into service with the pirates against his will. Mary herself, at the age of 36, had her death sentence commuted by her pregnancy, although she died within months of a fever, possibly on April 28, 1721.
 Thomas Tew |
 His Flag |
Thomas Tew was a famous pirate, whose headquarters was at Madagascar. He was mentioned by name as a specially "wicked and ill disposed person" in King William III's 1695 Royal Warrant to Captain Kidd, which commissioned him to hunt for pirates. Tew sailed in consort with Captain Dew from Barbados, with a commission from the governor to join with the Royal African Company in an attack on the French factory at Goori, in Gambia. But instead of going to West Africa, Tew and his crew turned pirates and sailed to the Red Sea. There he encountered a richly provisioned Indian ship and promptly attacked. Prevailing in the battle, he took her as a prize. The booty was so rich that each man of Tew's crew received oe3,000 as his share. Laden with this new-found wealth, they sailed to Madagascar.
Tew was soon held in high esteem by the pirates who resided in that favourite stronghold. There are some questions as to the subsequent course of Tew's career. What follows is based on the account in Captain Johnson's, A General History of Pirates. According to Johnson it was at this time that Tew met the legendary French pirate Misson, in his garden city of Libertalia. (Contemporary scholars have questioned the existence of both Misson and Libertalia.) Johnson portrays Misson as a thoroughly idealistic pirate whose ship was run upon republican principles. His career is said to have culminated with the founding of Libertalia, a pirate utopia. A quarrel arose between Misson's French followers and Tew's English pirates. A duel was arranged between the two leaders, but by the tact and intervention of another pirate and a defrocked Italian priest all was settled amicably.
Tew was appointed Admiral and the diplomatic ex-priest suitably chosen as Secretary of State to the little republic. Tew had such a reputation for kindness that ships seldom resisted him; upon learning who their assailant was they gave themselves up freely. Around this time some of Tew's men sailed off to start a colony on their own. The Admiral followed trying to persuade them to return to the fold at Libertalia. The men refused, and while Tew was arguing with them, his ship was lost in a sudden and fierce storm. Tew was soon rescued by the ship Bijoux with Misson on board, who, with a few men had narrowly escaped being massacred by the natives. Tew must have realized that the eastern waters were becoming less hospitable to pirates.
Furnished with an equal share of gold and diamonds from Misson's last venture, he made his way to back to America and settled down in Rhode Island. Tew was now a wealthy man. With an honesty rarely encountered in those who pursued his trade, he kept a promise to his friends in Bermuda, who had originally set him up with a ship, and sent them fourteen times the original cost of the sloop as their share of the profits.
In the end Tew found the call of the sea and the lure of the grand account irresistible. He consented to take command of a pirate ship enroute to the Red Sea. Soon after his arrival, Tew attacked a large ship belonging to the Great Mogul and during the battle was mortally wounded. His biographer tells us " a Sangrenel* shot ripped apart Tew's belly, and his bowels fell upon the deck. When he dropped, it struck such terror to his men that they suffered themselves to be taken without further resistance." Thus fell fighting a fine sailor, a brave man, and a successful pirate, and one who cheated the gallows awaiting him at Execution Dock
* a type of case shot filled with scraps of iron and other waste material
 Stede Bonnet |
 His Flag |
Captain Stede Bonnet was one of the strangest & most unlikely pirates. Originally a high ranking individual, known as Major Stede Bonnet. Major Bonnet came from an upright English family, possessing a liberal education & was known to be ''A Man of Letters''.
In his middle age he seemingly had everything needed in life as a successful planter with a comfortable life. His sugar plantation brought him reasonable wealth & was among the best society of Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. Therefore, it was a great shock to the high society of Barbados when for no apparent reason Major Bonnet left his life as a gentleman planter to become a pirate. Doing so he mortified his neighbours who excused his actions as the result of some ''disorder in his mind'', a thought not utterly unreasonable. There were also those who insinuated that it was his aversion toward respectability that drove him to such an extreme change of career. As a pirate, Captain Bonnet was merely an amateur.
Unlike stealing or capturing a ship, as any respectable pirate would do, he purchased his own which was completely unheard of in the archives of piracy. This fast little ship was purchased in early 1717. It had ten pieces of artillery secured to her single gun deck. For unknown reasons, he renamed her the Revenge. Captain Bonnet did another unheard of thing. He paid his crew out of his own pocket instead of drawing up a contract for them to sign. It was this strategy however, that kept him from being deposed by the crew. He found his crew in the taverns & grogshops of Bridgetown & ended up signing on about seventy destitute seamen. For several days after its purchase the Revenge remained in the Bridgetown harbour which Captain Bonnet explained as his intention of pursuing an inter-island trade. Then one night he cast off. He set his course for the Virginia Capes, where he captured a few ships.
In the beginning the ships he captured were only plundered until he captured the ship the Turbes, which was burned. After this every Barbadian ship taken by Captain Bonnet was burned. No one knows why. After capturing prizes off the New England Coast & few in the northern waters, he returned to the south. At this time however, there was trouble brewing. His inexperience began to manifest itself to the crew who were slowly becoming hostile & they began whispering amongst themselves. During the increasing hostilities Captain Bonnet dropped anchor in the Bay of Honduras where he met up with the Queen Anne's Revenge, along with her Captain, Blackbeard. The two quickly befriended each other & decided to cruise together. This alliance soon proved a big mistake on the part of Bonnet. Teach became aware of his inexperience & invited Captain Bonnet aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, where Captain Bonnet became pretty much a prisoner. Captain Blackbeard tried to convince him that a man of his education and mannerisms should not be forced to the rigors of commanding a ship like the Revenge & to move himself & his belongings to the more comfortable & spacious quarters of the Queen Anne's Revenge. There was little Captain Bonnet could do or say & soon after one of Captain Blackbeard's lieutenants, by the name of Richards took over command of the Revenge & quickly stifled the threat of mutiny by imposing stern discipline, and gaining the crew's confidence.
Eventually Captain Bonnet convinced Captain Blackbeard to allow him to command the Revenge again. Soon afterwards the two parted & Captain Bonnet left his ship for the town of Bath and surrendered himself as a reformed pirate to the Governor of North Carolina, Charles Eden. This act however did not subside Captain Bonnet's desire for Piracy & he continued plundering ships until his capture by Colonel William Rhett, from whom he escaped only to be recaptured, and brought to trial under a Court of Vice-Admiralty in Charles Town (Charleston), South Carolina. Sir Nicholas Trott Esq., who at that time was the judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court, sentenced Captain Bonnet to death on the gallows & was hung for piracy on December 10, 1718.