The Downfall of a Female Pirate
Mary Wolverston was married and widowed at a young age. She then remarried, this time to Sir John IV Killigrew, and became Lady Killigrew. Her second husband, like her father, had also been a pirate. However, unlike her father, who had retired from piracy, Mary’s second husband was still an active pirate. In of itself, that was not too problematic. Elizabeth I and her officials encouraged piracy on the high seas, as a form of economic warfare against the country’s enemies. So long as it was conducted far away and in a manner that allowed the English government some measure of plausible deniability, it was not much of a problem.
Unfortunately, Lady Killigrew and her husband did not prey solely upon enemy ships in the high seas, but also engaged in piracy in English waters, against foreign and English ships. Lady Killigrew’s downfall came in early 1583, when a Spanish ship, Marie of San Sebastian, docked at Arwenack near her castle. When she learned that the ship carried treasure, Lady Killigrew entertained the captain and crew at her castle, and had them visit her estates inland. While her guests were absent from their ship, Lady Killigrew led a raid that seized the Spanish ship, killed all who resisted, and absconded with the cargo.