Ching Shih’s early life is shrouded in mystery. Even her name isn’t really her own, as “Ching Shih” translates to “widow of Ching”. She first appears in the historical record in 1801. However, she left her mark on history as one of the most successful pirates. It is theorized Ching Shih was born around 1775 […]
Tag: Pirates
Eustace the Monk- Sorcerer, Monk, Pirate, Admiral and Legend
Born in 1170 near Boulogne, France, Eustace was the younger son of Baudoin Busket, a lord of the county of Boulogne. His upbringing was typical until he traveled to Toledo, Spain as a youth where he is rumored to have studied black magic. According to the contemporary work, Histoire des Ducs de Normandie, “No one […]
Sadie the Goat- Queen of the Waterfront
New York in the 19th century was a tough place to be, especially if you were poor. Make that double if you were a woman. This was the world Sadie Farrell was born into. She was a petty thief who rose to prominence in the 1860s in New York’s Fourth Ward near the East River. […]
LIONESS OF BRITTANY
What is it with French women named Jeanne? Unlike Madamoiselle d’Arc, however, Jeanne de Clisson was born into privilege and only took to kicking butt and taking names after the French king Phillip VI “wrongfully” executed her husband. But I’m getting ahead of myself. For those of you who don’t like all the dates and […]
Anne Bonny and Mary Read – Pirate Queens of the Caribbean
We hear a lot about pirates like Blackbeard, William Kidd, even the fictional Captain Jack Sparrow. Would you believe two of the most famous pirates are women by the names Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Most of what is known of Bonny and Read’s life comes from the volume A General History of the Robberies […]