Excerpt from The Royal Gazette

Four hundred years ago today the Sea Venture was wrecked on Bermuda's reef and St. George's is throwing a party to celebrate.

The Sea Venture was on its way to Jamestown in the US with crucial supplies for the newly established colony when it became separated from the other ships it sailed with on July 24 when they encountered a serious storm at "latitude 27 North and some 1000 leagues West of the Azores".

Captained by Sir George Somers they managed to survive the storm and four days later the severely leaking Sea Venture was run aground on Bermuda's eastern reefs. All the passengers and crew as well as the ship's dog made it safely to St. Catherine's Beach, which was historically known as 'Gates' Bay'.

To celebrate the milestone, a number of activities have been planned including a re-enactment of the landing of the survivors...

Related
My mum gave me a copy of Bermuda's Story by Terry Tucker that she found this weekend at the 49th Annual Pequot Library Book Sale. Here is Terry Tucker on the wreck of the Sea Venture:

"And suddenly, as if beholding a miracle, Sir George, still at the helm, gave a great hoarse shout: 'Land ho!'

Everyone rushed, straining eagerly in the direction he was looking; even those who had fallen to the docks with fatigue struggled to their feet. Yes–they could make out not only a rocky coast but even trees bending in the wind. How they must have held their breaths while Sir George guided the water-logged ship hard towards shore where she stuck between two shoals half a mile or so off the coast–and wedged there. The wind dropped; between the ship and the shore lay a stretch of blessedly smooth water. And presently, with great joy, they lowered the longboat, and, after several journeys, everyone was landed safely ashore. God had heard even those prayers carried away by the wind.

'Where are we?' they must have asked each other as they scrambled up towards the thick woods, giving a helping hand to one another and pulling the tired children after them. Sir George knew they had landed in the terrible Bermudas. Well, they must make the best of it. Even devil-haunted islands were better than a watery grave.

That was how the English came by chance to Bermuda. Never again were the islands entirely uninhabited. Friday, July 28th, 1609, was the day they landed and Bermuda's story as an inhabited place began. You must always remember that date. We call July 28th, Somers Day, in memory of the great man who is really the Father of this Colony."

Memorial to Sir George Somers, St. George's, Bermuda. Photograph from the Limestone Roof archives.

Labels: bermuda