On this day in 1720, cross-dressing English pirate Mary Read died in prison in Jamaica. She was pregnant at the time. Read lived her life as a man on and off throughout her life. As a girl, her mother dressed her as a boy to gain favor and funding from her grandmother. Mary’s half-brother had died recently and her mother hoped to fool the woman to gain her husband’s inheritance. Mary continued to live as a boy and after serving as a footman, sought work as a sailor, joining a band of Caribbean pirates eventually.
Peggy Scott of Arapahoe, of North Carolina, made this Little Boy’s Britches quilt in the 1930’s. Scott machine pieced this 77.5” x 78.5” with scraps and hand quilted it with the help of neighbors. She documented her quilt in 1996 as part of the North Carolina Quilt Project.
View this quilt on The Quilt Index to find out! Read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view or click the “See full record” link to see a larger image and all the data entered about that quilt.
Source:
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/femalepirates/ss/Mary-Read-Pirate.htm
Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org