Smith's Island is part of the chain which makes up

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

. It is located in St. George's Parish, in the northeast of the territory. The island is located close to the northern entrance to St. George's Harbour, east of the town of St. George's to the south of the slightly smaller Paget Island and close to the coast of the much larger St. David's Island. The island is the site of the first settlement in Bermuda, when Christopher Carter and Edward Waters built shelters there in 1610, and remained behind after other survivors of the 1609 wreck of ''

Sea Venture ''Sea Venture'' was a seventeenth-century English sailing ship, part of the Third Supply mission flotilla to the Jamestown Colony in 1609. She was the 300 ton flagship of the London Company. During the voyage to Virginia, ''Sea Venture'' encount ...

'' sailed for

Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent British colonization of the Americas, English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about southwest of present-day Willia ...

. Edward Chard returned with

George Somers Sir George Somers (before 24 April 1554 – 9 November 1610) was an English privateer and naval hero, knighted for his achievements and the Admiral of the Virginia Company of London. He achieved renown as part of an expedition led by ...

later that year. Somers died while Chard and a ship's dog joined the Carter and Waters. Sometimes dubbed the "Three Kings of Bermuda", Waters, Carter, and Chard hunted, fished, and farmed the land. The

Somers Isles Company The Somers Isles Company (fully, the Company of the City of London for the Plantacion of The Somers Isles or the Company of The Somers Isles) was formed in 1615 to operate the English colony of the Somers Isles, also known as Bermuda, as a commer ...

had supplied Carter, Chard, and Waters 81 varieties of seeds to trial garden, including tobacco, maize, and watermelon. The first official colonists arrived on the ''Plough'' two years later (on July 11, 1612). Company man Richard Moore acted as deputy governor for the 50-60 settlers, who originally settled Smith's Island but then moved to St. David's Island for better access to fresh water. Carter, Chard, and Waters relocated to St. George's Island in autumn 1612. When the smallpox pandemic threatened the public health safety of Bermuda in the 1730s, Smallpox Bay (on the eastern side Smith's Island) was a site of ship and passenger

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

. Like other Bermuda demonyms, Smith's Island was named in tribute to Governor

Thomas Smythe Sir Thomas Smythe (or Smith, c. 1558 – 4 September 1625) was an English merchant, politician and colonial administrator. He was the first governor of the East India Company and treasurer of the Virginia Company from 1609 to 1620 until envelo ...

(whose surname was spelled several ways), an investor of the

Notes

External links

Smith’s Island Archaeology Project Field School
at

Archaeological Institute of America The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America, North America's oldest learned society and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. AIA professionals have carried out archaeological fieldwork around the world and ...

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is a magazine covering science, history, art, popular culture and innovation. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' magazine ...

Islands of Bermuda St. George's Parish, Bermuda {{Bermuda-geo-stub