History of The Brixham Pirates Festival
The Brixham Pirate Festival began in 2002, when members of the local community came together with the simple idea of creating an event to liven up one of the quietest bank holidays of the year. What started as a small, good-natured gathering of pirate enthusiasts quickly captured the imagination of residents and visitors alike. Over the following years - with pauses, revivals, and the dedication of different volunteer groups - the festival steadily grew in scale and ambition.
By the 2010s, the Brixham Pirate Festival had evolved into one of the largest and most colourful pirate-themed events in the UK, drawing thousands of visitors to the harbour. Live music, re-enactment crews, tall-ship displays, cannon fire, craft stalls, and an ever-growing tide of costumed pirates transformed the waterfront into a vibrant celebration of seafaring folklore.
Rooted in Brixham’s genuine maritime history - from privateering and smuggling to coastal defence - the festival offers more than spectacle; it reflects the town’s heritage and community spirit. Today, the Brixham Pirate Festival is a flagship, community-run celebration that boosts the local economy, attracts national attention, and keeps alive the stories, legends, and maritime traditions that define Brixham.
See here for previous pirate festivals
History of Brixham Pirates
Although some people claim that “Brixham never had any real pirates,” the truth is far more exciting. Brixham and the wider Torbay coast were home to privateers, raiders, and a thriving network of smugglers who were, in many ways, pirates of the land. Operating in the same eras as the Channel’s most notorious sea rovers, these men lived by daring, danger, and defiance — running contraband under cover of night, outwitting Revenue cutters, and turning hidden coves into makeshift havens. Figures like the formidable privateer John Hawley, the legendary Resurrection Bob, and local smugglers such as Thomas Perkinson remind us that Brixham’s maritime past is rich with bold characters and dramatic events. These are the stories and legends that keep our pirate heritage very much alive.
John Hawley: Brixham’s Original Pirate Connection
Long before the age of Caribbean pirates, the waters around Brixham and Dartmouth were home to one of England’s most daring sea captains — John Hawley.
Born in Devon around 1350, Hawley became a powerful shipowner, a famous privateer, and one of the most influential figures on the South Coast.
A Pirate… With Permission
England was at war with France for much of Hawley’s life, and the King gave trusted captains “licences to plunder.”
Hawley took this seriously.
From bases in Dartmouth and Brixham, he and his fleet attacked French ships — and sometimes any other ship that looked worth the trouble!
It was piracy in all but name, and it made him both feared and respected.
Hawley and Brixham
Hawley had strong ties to Brixham:
He bought Upton Manor, a huge orchard estate covering much of Higher Brixham.
He ran this land successfully for 14 years, investing in the town and its people.
His ships often sheltered in Tor Bay before heading out on raids across the Channel.
Remains of the fortifications connected to his era can still be seen in local stone structures overlooking the coastline.
So while Dartmouth may claim him as a mayor (he was elected 14 times!), Brixham can proudly say he was part of our history too — living, working, and sailing from the very shores we celebrate today.
The Pirate Who Met Chaucer
Hawley’s reputation reached far beyond Devon.
When the famous writer Geoffrey Chaucer visited the area, he is believed to have based The Shipman in The Canterbury Tales on Hawley or on the fierce sailors of his fleet.
Chaucer described a man who took no notice of “nice conscience,” kept a dagger close at hand, and “sent his enemies home by water.”
In other words — exactly the kind of pirate spirit we celebrate each year!
Brixham’s Medieval Pirate Legacy
John Hawley’s life is a reminder that Brixham’s pirate story didn’t begin with fancy hats and parrots.
It began right here in the 1300s and 1400s, with real sea captains who defended their coast, bent the rules, and helped shape the maritime character of our town.
Brixham Pirate Festival keeps that legacy alive — celebrating the daring, adventure, and seafaring spirit that Hawley helped create.
Resurrection Bob: Brixham’s Most Famous Smuggler
Not all of Brixham’s pirate legends come from the Middle Ages.
Jump forward a few centuries, and the town had a new local hero with a reputation for daring escapes, clever tricks, and an uncanny ability to survive anything — Resurrection Bob.
Who Was He?
Resurrection Bob (real name Robert Rowe) was a 19th-century Brixham fisherman and smuggler.
Known for his strength, his stubbornness, and his love of a good drink, Bob earned his nickname because he kept “coming back from the dead.”
Whenever people thought he was lost at sea or gone for good, he would reappear — usually with a grin and a story to tell.
Why “Resurrection”?
Legend says:
He survived shipwrecks
He escaped press gangs
He vanished for weeks, only to stroll back into town as if nothing had happened
Once, after washing up after a wreck, he sat up in his shroud at his own wake and asked for a pint
Whether all the stories are true or not, the people of Brixham loved him for it.
A Smuggler at Heart
Bob lived during a time when smuggling was part of everyday coastal life.
Tea, brandy, tobacco, silk, and lace were brought ashore quietly at night to avoid heavy taxes. Brixham’s steep lanes and hidden coves made it the perfect place for this trade.
Resurrection Bob:
Knew every trick of the tides and caves
Was strong enough to haul heavy barrels up the cliffs
And could talk his way out of trouble with humour and charm
To the people of Brixham, he wasn’t a criminal — he was a rogue, a rebel, and a local hero.
A Legend in Local Memory
Stories of Resurrection Bob were passed down through generations of fishing families.
He represents the spirit of Brixham: tough, seafaring, independent, and not afraid to bend a rule or two.
Today, he’s remembered as:
One of Brixham’s great maritime characters
A smuggler with nine lives
A symbol of the adventurous, daring streak that runs through the town’s history
Other Historical Figures with Pirate / Smuggler Connections to Brixham
Thomas Perkinson
Who: An 18th-century smuggler from Brixham.
What He Did: Commanded a sloop involved in a smuggling operation alongside the ship The Swift. During a famous incident in 1783, Perkinson’s sloop and The Swift (with 16 guns and 50 crew) engaged in a violent confrontation with the Revenue Cutters Spider and Alarm.
John Nutt
Who: A pirate / sea raider mentioned in local Torbay history.
Connection to Brixham / Torbay: According to historical accounts, John Nutt used Torbay as a base. He allegedly “made his retreat at Torbay … he had a wife and children” nearby.
The Press Gang / Press-Gang Legends in Brixham
What: While not a “pirate,” press gangs (men who forcibly recruited sailors into the Royal Navy) are a very maritime and conflict-heavy part of Brixham’s seafaring history.
Local Detail: Brixham fishermen reportedly designed small boats (crew of two men + two boys) specifically to evade press gangs.