6. An Unscrupulous Hostess
Like her father, Mary Wolverston’s second husband also dabbled in piracy. However, unlike her father, who had retired, Sir John Killigrew was still an active pirate. In of itself, that was not too problematic. Elizabethan authorities encouraged piracy on the high seas, as a form of economic warfare against the enemies of the realm. So long as it was conducted far away and in a manner that allowed the English government plausible deniability, piracy was not a problem. However, Lady Killigrew and her husband crossed a line. They did not prey solely upon the ships of enemy countries in the high seas, but also engaged in piracy in English waters, against both foreign and English ships.
The downfall of Lady Killigrew, came in 1583, when a Spanish ship, the Marie of San Sebastian, docked at Arwenack near her castle. Lady Killigrew heard that the vessel carried treasure, so she invited the captain to come to see her. The foreign seamen were entertained by their host, who also extended them an invitation to visit her estates inland. They accepted, and in their absence, Lady Killigrew led a party of raiders that seized the Spanish ship. They killed all who resisted and absconded with the cargo.
