avigating the South Atlantic. In
1822 he controlled a fleet of pirate vessels in the vicinity of Cape
Antonio.

RAYNER, CAPTAIN.

In a letter to the Lords of Trade, dated from Philadelphia, February 28th,
1701, William Penn mentions that several of Captain Kidd's men had settled
as planters in Carolina with Rayner as their captain.

RAYNOR, WILLIAM.

One of Captain John Quelch's crew. Tried at Boston in 1704.

READ, CAPTAIN.

Commanded a brigantine which had its headquarters at Madagascar. Rescued
the pirate Thomas White. Read died at sea.

READ, MARY. Woman pirate.

Born in London of obscure parentage; all that is known for certain is that
her mother was a "young and airy widow." Mary was brought up as a boy, and
at the age of 13 was engaged as a footboy to wait on a French lady. Having
a roving spirit, Mary ran away and entered herself on board a man-of-war.
Deserting a few years later, she enlisted in a regiment of foot and fought
in Flanders, showing on all occasions great bravery, but quitted the
service to enlist in a regiment of horse. Her particular comrade in this
regiment was a Fleming, with whom she fell in love and disclosed to him
the secret of her sex. She now dressed as a woman, and the two troopers
were married, "which made a great noise," and several of her officers
attended the nuptials. She and her husband got their discharge and kept an
eating house or ordinary, the Three Horseshoes, near the Castle of Breda.
The husband died, and Mary once again donned male attire and enlisted in a
regiment in Holland. Soon tiring of this, she deserted, and shipped
herself aboard a vessel bound for the West Indies. This ship was taken by
an English pirate, Captain Rackam, and Mary joined his crew as a seaman.

She was at New Providence Island, Bahama, when Woodes Rogers came there
with the royal pardon to all pirates, and she shipped herself aboard a
privateer sent out by Rogers to cruise against the Spaniards. The crew
mutinied and again became pirates. She now sailed under Captain Rackam,
who had with him another woman pirate, Anne Bonny. They took a large
number of ships belonging to Jamaica, and out of one of these took
prisoner "a young fellow of engaging behaviour" with whom Mary fell deeply
in love. This young fellow had a quarrel with one of the pirates, and as
the ship lay at anchor they were to go to fight it out on shore according
to pirate law. Mary, to save her lover, picked a quarrel