Calico Jack

At a Glance

• Given name: Jack Rackham, misspelled Rackam or Rackum
• Born: 1682
• Died: 1720
• Active period: 1682-1720

An English pirate famous for flying a flag of skull and crossed cutlasses and nicknamed for the colorful calico clothing he wore. He is also know for employing two of the only known female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Originally a quartermaster, Rackham took over his ship when Captain Charles Vain failed in an attack against a French warship mistaken for another vessel. As captain, Rackham mostly pillaged small vessels close to shore. He was captured by Jonathan Barnet, a pirate hunter, in 1720 and hanged to death in Port Royal, Jamaica.