I saw a comic with a pirate in it, and like every other time you see a pirate it was saying Arrrrr. When did this stereotype emerge? Is there any historical significance?
The stereotypical West Country accent, along with all the "Arrr" and "Matey", comes primarily from Robert Newton's performance as Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950), Blackbeard the Pirate (1952), and Long John Silver (1954).