Calico Jack Rackham

John Rackham, better known as Calico Jack, was a notorious English pirate who operated in the Caribbean during the early 18th century.

Biography
John Rackham started his career as quartermaster on the ship of Charles Vane, a pirate who was operating out of New Providence, Bahamas. At the end of 1718, Vane fired on a French vessel that he then discovered was a warship. Although he felt discretion and retreat was the better part of valor, his crew disagreed, and the next day he was sent off after Rackham was elected captain.

Rackham spent several months cruising the Caribbean, having as much success in attacking smaller vessels that his little sloop would allow. In late spring of 1719, Rackham returned to New Providence and received a Royal Pardon from Governor Woodes Rogers.

When Rackham began an affair with Anne Bonny, the pardon was soon forgotten. They had a baby that was eventually left in the care of some pirate families in Cuba, and Rackham returned to his former ways, stealing the sloop William and taking Bonny along, dressed as a man. Rackham and Bonny spent over a year attacking small vessels around the West Indies and took on a sailor that would later prove to be a woman named Mary Reade. Rackham at first confronted the 'man' who was spending too much time around Anne, but later relented upon discovering her identity and realizing the benefit of friendship for the pair.

Calico Jack Rackham's run came to an end around October 1720, after Woodes Rogers found out about his return to piracy. A British sloop led by Captain Barnet caught up with him at the west end of Jamaica while the crew was drunk and unable to fight. The women tried to sail the ship away, but it was soon overtaken. Reade, Bonny, and one man were said to be the only fighters, shooting into the hold to try and rouse the others from their hiding spot. Their shots wounded one and killed another.

The entire crew was soon arrested and taken to Jamaica to be tried for piracy. The proceedings caused quite a stir because of the women pirates, but the women themselves escaped the noose because of pregnancy. The rest of them were hung on November 27, 1720. Calico Jack's body was gibbeted and hung as a deterrent on Deadman's Cay near Port Royal.

Source

 * The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook