The special pronunciation and stereotypical expressions emerged with the pirate movies starring Robert Newton who has become the “patron saint” of the annual International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Newton first used the accent while playing his most remembered role, the one of Long John Silver in the 1950 adaptation of Treasure Island. The accent was immediately praised by audiences, so Newton continued to use it in his later pirate movies, including Blackbeard the Pirate and the popular series The Adventures of John Silver. Since then popular culture cannot imagine pirates speaking any other way.

The accent Newton used was, in fact, an exaggerated version of his native accent. He was raised in Dorset, not far from Bristol, so he was familiar with the English West Country farmer’s accent. He thought his version of this accent would bring additional flair to the already popular pirate flicks, and he employed it with great success.