Sir George Somers is best known certainly in Bermuda for his unexpected discovery of Bermuda.
Admiral of a fleet of 9 ships sailing to relieve Jamestown, Virginia in 1609, devastating hurricane forced the ship he was on board – the Sea Venture – to come aground on the coral reefs of Bermuda.
Everyone on board (150) survived and within 10 months two new ships were constructed – the Deliverance and the Patience – sailed to Jamestown.
But where did Somers come from?
Born in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England, in 1854, Somers came from a merchant family. He took to the sea as a boy, developing into an exceptionally skilled navigator and ship captain. He used early maritime ventures and prize money from (legal) privateering missions against the Spanish to buy land near his birthplace, establishing Berne Manor.
He commanded several prominent English warships (such as the Vanguard, Swiftsure, and Warspite), fighting against Spanish invasion fleets and participating in campaigns around the Azores and Ireland and even as far afield as Caracas, Venezuela.
Recognizing his service and leadership, King James VI (Scotland)/JamesI (England) knighted Somers in the royal garden at Whitehall in 1603. Capitalizing on his local standing, Somers was elected as a Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis in 1804 and later served as the town’s mayor in 1606
The King knew that the new settlement in Jamestown, Virginia was in serious trouble fr0m famine, disease, attacks by locals and so forth. So, by 1609, the King appointed Somers to be the Admiral of the Virginia Company’s relief fleet, charged with bringing vital supplies and new settlers to Virginia
Upon reaching Jamestown, Somers realized that more provisions would be needed, so he sailed back to Bermuda to get fruit and any other food available, to take back to Jamestown.
He arrived safely, but the arduous journey took a severe toll on his health. Sir George Somers died in Bermuda on November 9, 1610, at the age of 56.
Somers had earlier declared that he wanted to spend the rest of his days in Bermuda, so his nephew (also on board the ship) removed his “heart and entrails) to be buried in St. George’s.
Then in accordance with the legal protocol in England at the time, his nephew placed the body in a barrel of alcohol, to be shipped back across the Atlantic to be buried in Dorset, England.
Apart from the protocol, the custom at that time was that in order for the deceased’s estate to be claimed, the body had to be produced.
His estate was substantial at that time – including prize money from privateering, land holdings and property.
The story and indeed the history of St. George’s and indeed the island of Bermuda cannot be written without recognition of the legacy of Sir George Somers.
Somers Garden: Located in St. George’s, this peaceful park is built around the historic site where his heart and entrails were interred in 1610. It features a prominent 20-foot commemorative obelisk erected for the 1909 tercentenary.
The Somers Isles: The islands themselves were officially named the Somers Isles in his honor (a name still reflected in Bermuda’s official coat of arms and motto, Quo fata ferunt).
Statues and Art: A lifelike bronze statue of Somers by renowned sculptor Desmond Fountain stands on Ordnance Island facing the famous harbor of the town.
International Twinning: The town of St. George’s is officially twinned with his English birthplace of Lyme Regis, Dorset.
A man of the Past, the Present and the Future.
- Learn More About Touring Bermuda: https://bermudaheritagetours.com/best-bermuda-shore-excursions/
- More Bermuda Stories: https://bermudianhistory.com/exploring-the-gibraltar-of-the-west/
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