St. George's (formally the Town of St. George or St. George's Town), located on the

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

and within the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of the same names (and on the northern side of St. George's Harbour), settled in 1612, is the first permanent English (and later British) settlement on the islands of

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 often described as the third permanent British settlement in the Americas, after

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 ...

(1607), and Cupids, Newfoundland (1610), and the oldest continuously-inhabited British town in the New World, since the other two settlements were seasonal for a number of years.

Nomenclature

Bermudian convention, where a

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for ...

contains the name of a person, is to render the person's name in the

possessive A possessive or ktetic form (Glossing abbreviation, abbreviated or ; from ; ) is a word or grammatical construction indicating a relationship of possession (linguistics), possession in a broad sense. This can include strict ownership, or a numbe ...

form. The place is rarely treated as equivalent to the person. Among many examples of such place names in Bermuda are St. David's Island, Bailey's Bay,

Smith's Parish Smith's Parish is one of the nine Administrative divisions of Bermuda, parishes of Bermuda. It is named for English aristocrat Sir Thomas Smythe, Thomas Smith or Smythe (1558–1625). Description It is located in the northeast of the main islan ...

(named for aristocrat Sir Thomas Smith), Sandys' Parish (named for Sir Edwin Sandys), Skeeters' Island (often mistakenly rendered "Skeeter's Island", it is named for ''Edward Skeeters'' and is also known as ''Burt's Island''), ''Gibb's Hill'', ''Barr's Bay'', ''Ackermann's Hill'', ''Nelly's Island'', Cooper's Island, Darrell's Island, ''Paynter's Vale'', ''Abbot's Head'' (or ''Abbot's Cliff''), and Fort St. Catherine's (on St. Catherine's Point). The possessive form is also used for titles, as with ''Collector's Hill'' (named for the ''Collector of Taxes''). Maps of Bermuda have most often been produced by non-Bermudians and names given on them do not always conform to Bermudian practice. The use of the possessive form is not exclusive, however, as exemplified by place names such as the names of most of the parishes (which – other than St. George's Parish – all commemorate historical people), such as Hamilton Parish (named for

James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran (1589 – 2 March 1625), styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish politician. He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton and Margaret Ly ...

), Devonshire Parish (named for

William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire (27 December 1552 – 3 March 1626) was an English nobleman, politician, and courtier. Early life William Cavendish was the second son of Sir William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick. Following his ...

), and Paget Parish. Some of these exceptions may have originated with changed syntax, as ''Devonshire Parish'' may originally have been ''The Parish of Devonshire''. This is seen with the ''City of Hamilton'' (named for Henry Hamilton, a former

Governor of Bermuda The governor of Bermuda (officially Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Somers Isles (alias the Islands of Bermuda)) is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. For the purposes of this arti ...

). Whereas the City of Hamilton is commonly referred to as ''Hamilton'', The Town of St. George, St. George's Parish, St. George's Island, and St. George's Harbour (and any other toponym usually containing a person's name in the possessive form) always remains possessive when shortened, such as in the ''St. George's Foundation''.

History

Originally called ''New London'', St. George's was first settled in 1612. This was three years after the first English settlers landed on St. George's Island on their way to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Led by Admiral Sir George Somers and Lieutenant-General

Sir Thomas Gates Sir Thomas Gates (died 1622) was the governor of Jamestown in the English Colony of Virginia (now the Commonwealth of Virginia, part of the United States of America). His predecessor, George Percy, through inept leadership, was responsible f ...

, they had deliberately steered their ship, ''

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 ...

,'' onto a reef to escape a storm. The survivors built two new ships, the ''Deliverance'' and ''Patience'', and most continued their voyage to Jamestown, but the

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

laid claim to the island. Two men remained behind to maintain the company's possession of the archipelago (a third stayed when the ''Patience'' returned later that year). By the Virginia Company's Third Charter in 1612, the boundaries of the new colony were extended out to sea to include Bermuda. The company sent a party of 60 new settlers to Bermuda to join the three men left behind by the ''Sea Venture.'' After a brief period on neighbouring

St. David's St Davids or St David's (, , "David's house”) is a cathedral city in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It lies on the River Alun and is part of the community of St Davids and the Cathedral Close. It is the resting place of Saint David, Wales's p ...

, the settlers started building structures at St. George's, located in a sheltered sound that kept ships protected from bad weather. In 1615, the shareholders of the Virginia Company created a second company, 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 ...

. It administered Bermuda separately until the company was dissolved in 1686. (The Virginia Company was dissolved in 1624). This small town was the capital of Bermuda until 1815; it was linked to the history of colonial America. Ten thousand Bermudians emigrated, primarily to Virginia and the

American Southeast The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and the southern portion of the Eastern Uni ...

, before United States independence made them citizens of separate nations. Branches of wealthy Bermudian merchant families dominated trade in the area's ports. Bermudians settled towns in the South, and contributed greatly to the make up of the populations of several US states. As Bermuda's population centre, and only true port during this period, St. George's was connected to development in the North American colonies. During the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, at the request of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, Bermudians assisted the American rebels in stealing much-needed

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

from a St. George's magazine, which supplied the forts protecting the port. The powder was carried over the hill to Tobacco Bay, from where boats transported it to an American ship that lay offshore. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, some British from St. George's evaded coastal blockades to provide supplies and munitions to the desperate Confederates. This trade was based in St. George's. King's Square forms the centre of St George's, where regular 17th-century re-enactments are held throughout the year. Excavations carried out by

Bristol University The University of Bristol is a public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had ...

and the Bermuda National Trust discovered the foundations here of the original 1612 governor's house. The Bermuda National Trust Museum is located on the square.

Ordnance Island Ordnance Island is located within the limits of St. George's, Bermuda, St. George's Town, Bermuda. It lies close to the shore opposite the town square (King's Square), in St. George's Harbour, Bermuda, St. George's Harbour. History The only ...

in St. George's Harbour, is situated south of King's Square. It holds a replica of ''Deliverance'' (one of the two ships built by the survivors of ''Sea Venture''), and a life-sized statue of Admiral of the Virginia Company, Sir

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 ...

, by Desmond Fountain. Somers, along with Sir Thomas Gates, had led the survivors of the 1609 wreck. The town has numerous historical sites, such as the old State House from 1620. Other than fortifications, this was the first stone building in Bermuda, built to house the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. It is the oldest building on the island. Others of note are the Unfinished Church, the Old Rectory, St. Peter's (the oldest surviving

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and oldest continuously occupied

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

church in the Western hemisphere), the Tucker House, the Bermuda National Trust Museum, and the St. George's Historical Society Museum and the Featherbed Alley Printshop museum (both in the Mitchell House). In 1996, the town was twinned with

Lyme Regis Lyme Regis ( ) is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and ...

, in

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, England, the birthplace of Admiral Sir George Somers. In 2000, the town, together with numerous surrounding fortifications, including the Castle Islands Fortifications, was designated as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

, formally known as the Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications.

Sports

St. George's Colts and Hamilton Parish football clubs play their games at the Wellington Oval, which also serves as a cricket ground.

Education

St. George's Preschool serves the area. St. George's Primary School is in the community.Home
St. George's Primary School. Retrieved on September 14, 2016. "A fantastic little school in the heart of the historic town of St. George's, Bermuda."

Notable people

* Charles Delucena Meigs (1792–1869), American obstetrician * Robert John Simmons, who served in the

Bermuda Garrison The Bermuda Garrison was the military establishment maintained on the British Overseas Territory and Imperial fortress of Bermuda by the regular British Army and its local-service militia and voluntary reserves from 1701 to 1957. The garrison ev ...

before dying of wounds as a First Sergeant in the

54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantr ...

during the

United States Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded ...

. *

Thomas Tudor Tucker Thomas Tudor Tucker (June 25, 1745May 2, 1828) was a Bermuda-born American physician and politician representing Charleston, South Carolina. He was elected from South Carolina in both the Continental Congress and the U.S. House. He later w ...

(1745 in St. George's – 1828 in Washington, D.C.) was a Bermuda-born American physician and politician representing Charleston, South Carolina. * John Hamilton Gray QC (1814 in St. George's – 1889 in Victoria, British Columbia) was a politician in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada, a jurist, and one of the Fathers of Confederation * Reverend Robert Ashington Bullen FLS, FGS, FZS, FRAS (1850 St. George's – 1912 in UK) was an Anglican priest, a geologist and an authority on Mollusca

References

External links

St. George's Foundation
– From Bermuda Attractions
Town of St. George
Detailed info from Bermuda-Island.net
Webcam
At Harbour Radi

(located at Ft. George, above the Town)

Gallery

File:St. George's Harbour circa 1864.jpg, St. George's Harbour, ca. 1864. Confederate States of America, Confederate blockade runners are visible. File:Unfinished Church 2.jpg, The Unfinished Church File:Tucker House, Water Street & Barber's Alley, St George's, Bermuda.jpg, Tucker House (housing a museum of the Bermuda National Trust), on Water Street and Barber's Alley File:Tucker_House_2.JPG, Entrance to The Tucker House File:George_Somers.jpg, Statue of

File:St. George's-1.jpg, View from the harbour File:Featherbed Alley Printshop Bermuda.jpg, The Featherbed Alley Printshop Museum File:2016-06-11 St. George's Foundation's UNESCO World Heritage Centre, St. George's Town, Bermuda.jpg, The St. George's Foundation's UNESCO World Heritage Centre on Penno's Wharf {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint George's, Bermuda Populated places established in 1612 Populated places in Bermuda Populated places in colonial Virginia British colonization of the Americas World Heritage Sites in Bermuda Municipalities of Bermuda 1612 establishments in the British Empire