The true story of Edward Edwards, Penarth's notorious smuggler and pirate

Edward Edwards was Penarth's most notorious resident.  

A smuggler, with huge cellars under his waterside pub.  A pirate.  He was 'an old offender'.  He warned of violence against the revenue men if they came near his house, and threatened to cut their mooring ropes.  

But who was he? Why did he suddenly appear in Penarth's history in the 1730s, and equally suddenly disappear again. 

Where was he from? What happened to him?

The answer to these questions will be given in a talk on Thursday, 11 May at 3.30pm in the Parish Hall in Albert Road, Penarth. 

On his death in the 1760s, Edwards was described as 'a man that went through many changes in this world', and his extraordinary story throws a fascinating light on the village and the Vale 300 years ago.