Mary Critchett (possibly died 1729, first name also Maria, last name also Crichett or Crickett) was an English pirate and convict. She is best known for being one of only four confirmed female pirates from theGolden Age of Piracy,[1] and the only one executed.
Six prisoners - "Edmund Williams, George Caves, George Cole alias Sanders, Edward Edwards, Jeremiah Smith and Mary Critchett"[2] - were transported fromEngland toVirginia in late 1728, to work off their sentences.[1] On 12 May 1729, they escaped and overpowered the two-man crew of thesloopJohn and Elizabeth.[1] Critchett held the prisoners in the ship'shold, sitting on the hatch to prevent their escape.[3] They released the pair a few days later over Critchett's objections, who feared the two would alert the authorities.[1] The pirates sailed intoChesapeake Bay but before they could raid any other ships, they were captured by HMSShoreham under Captain Long.[3] Returned to Virginia, they were tried in August 1729 inWilliamsburg, convicted of piracy, and sentenced to hang.[4]
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