Smith's Parish is one of the nine parishes of

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

. It is named for English aristocrat Sir Thomas Smith/Smythe (1558–1625).

Description

It is located in the northeast of the main island, at the southern end of

Harrington Sound Harrington Sound is a large inland body of water in the northeast of the main island of Bermuda. It is surrounded by the main island on all sides, only appearing open to the ocean via a small channel called Flatt's Inlet in the southwest. Much o ...

, the large lagoon close to the main island's northeastern tip. It is joined to

Devonshire Parish Devonshire Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. Originally named ''Cavendish Tribe'' and later Devonshire Tribe, for William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire (1552–1626). ''Devonshire Redoubt'', on Castle Island, one of the Castle Har ...

in the southwest and

Hamilton Parish Hamilton Parish (originally Bedford Parish) is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It was renamed for Scottish aristocrat James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton (1589-1625) when he purchased the shares originally held in the Virginia Company ...

in the northeast. As with most of Bermuda's parishes, it covers just over 2.3 square miles (about 6.0 km² or 1500 acres). It had a population of 5,984 in 2016. Natural features in Smith's include

Spittal Pond Spital or Spittal may refer to: Places Austria *Spital (Weitra), a hamlet in the Waldviertel, Lower Austria, notable for being the origin of some of Adolf Hitler's family *Spital am Pyhrn, a municipality in Upper Austria *Spital am Semmering, a ...

, John Smith's Beach,

Devil's Hole Devils Hole is a geologic formation located in a detached unit of Death Valley National Park and surrounded by the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, in Nye County, Nevada, in the Southwestern United States. Devils Hole is habitat for the onl ...

, Gibbet Island, and Portuagese Rock.

History

Like all of

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Bermuda, Smith's was named after one of the nine chief investors of the Somers Isles (Bermuda) Company. In this case, it was named for the Company's first governor, Sir Thomas Smith, who also acted as a governor for the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

and treasurer of the

Virginia Company The Virginia Company was an English trading company chartered by King James I on 10 April 1606 with the object of colonizing the eastern coast of America. The coast was named Virginia, after Elizabeth I, and it stretched from present-day Main ...

. Smith would go on to invest some £60,000 into Bermuda (only £20,000 less than what he invested in the much larger Virginia). Despite this, his contribution to his stake in the colony was minimal, and the area was briefly known as "Harris' Bay".

Politics

For purposes of national representation, Smith's has been divided into three constituencies (Smith's South, Smith's West and Smith's North), and so has 3 representatives in Parliament. As of 2003, two of these are members of the UBP party, and one is a member of the PLP party.

Education

Schools in the Parish: * Harrington Sound Primary School * Whitney Institute Middle SchoolWhitney Institute Middle School Teacher Vacancy 2011/2012
" Whitney Institute Middle School. Retrieved on September 14, 2016. "59 Middle Road Smith's, Bermuda FL 04"

References

External links

Parishes of Bermuda {{Bermuda-geo-stub