History and Culture
One of the oldest remaining British Territories, Bermuda has a long rich history dating back as far as the early 16th century.
Discovery and Settlement
The island of Bermuda, named after Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez, first appeared on a map in the early 1500s. Though the Spanish never inhabited the island, Bermuda served as a landmark for sailors navigating their journeys through the Atlantic. Surrounding reefs, frequent stormy weather, and the noises of native cahows and wild hogs, gave Bermuda a fearsome reputation among mariners who referred to the island as “The Isle of Devils”.
In 1609, the Sea Venture, the flagship vessel of the Virginia Company, set sail from Plymouth led by Sir George Somers. Bound for the struggling English colony of Jamestown, Virginia, the ship carried settlers and vital supplies. The Sea Venture was caught in a hurricane and separated from its fleet and wrecked offshore of Fort St Catherine’s Beach, St George’s. William Shakespeare’s The Tempest is said to have been inspired by passenger William Strachey’s account of the shipwreck of the Sea Venture.
While on the island, the 150 colonists found that Bermuda was abundant in natural resources, such as Bermuda cedar. After 9 months, the passengers built two new ships, the Deliverance and Patience and continued their original journey to Jamestown, bringing with them Bermuda cahows and turtles to help feed the starving colony. The news of the Sea Venture crew’s success on the island, and the abundance of resources, was sent back to England, leading the Virginia Company to explore potential options for colonization in Bermuda.
Three years after the Sea Venture shipwreck, the Virginia Company’s Royal Charter officially extended to include Bermuda and sent an official group of 60 English settlers to the island on 11th July 1612. The group was accompanied by leader Sir Richard Moore, who became the island’s first Governor. The founded the town of St George, which served as Bermuda’s capital until it moved to Hamilton in 1815.
Bermuda remained under the Virginia Company until November 1612, when it was taken over by the Somers Isles Company. This new company, also known as the Bermuda Company, ran the colony until it was dissolved in 1684. Bermuda was divided into 9 “Tribes” or Parishes – 8 named after shareholders of the Somers Isles Company: Hamilton, Smith’s, Devonshire, Pembroke, Paget, Warwick, Southampton, Sandys. The 9th, St George’s Parish was designated as public land.
Notably, in 1620 Bermuda introduced what is thought to be the New World’s first conservation law, banning the killing of juvenile sea turtles, measuring less than 18 inches in shell circumference.
In 1684, the island officially became a British Crown Colony under King Charles II, with appointed Governor Sir Richard Moore.
Bermuda is Britain’s oldest colony. In present day, Bermuda is a flourishing democracy, taking form as a self-governing British Overseas Territory with a high degree of autonomy.
Cultural Development
Bermuda’s rich culture is an amalgamation of its African, Caribbean, British, Portuguese and Native American influences.
A significant portion of the island’s population descends from enslaved peoples. Both Africans and Native Americans were subjected to enslavement in Bermuda. The first two enslaved individuals were a person of African descent and a Native American brought to Bermuda from the West Indies in 1617 under Governor Daniel Tucker, initially to dive for pearls.
Bermuda was the first English Colony to import enslaved people of African descent. Over time, more people of African descent arrived from the Caribbean and the United States, working as enslaved persons or indentured labourers. As European colonial expansion intensified, thousands of West Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas. Some ships transporting enslaved people were wrecked on Bermuda’s reefs, resulting in those on board being sold into slavery on the island.
Due to Bermuda’s diversified economy, the system of slavery developed differently compared to plantation slavery in the American South and West Indies. Most enslaved people in Bermuda worked as domestic servants. Enslaved women also served as concubines, cooks, field hands, sellers of firewood, sick nurses, washerwoman and weavers. Enslaved men also worked as boatmen, carpenters, caulkers, labourers, mariners, masons, pilots, sailors, sawyers, ship builders and whale hunters. Despite these varied roles, slavery in Bermuda was still marked by brutality and inhumanity.
Mary Prince, who was born into enslavement in Bermuda, was the first known black woman to narrate an autobiography, detailing her life in chains. The History of Mary Prince was a landmark in abolitionist literature. She was also the first woman to petition Parliament in the UK and she remains an influential figure in the abolitionist movement.
Slavery was abolished in Bermuda in 1834; two centuries after its introduction. Nevertheless, the legacy of enslavement continues to shape the island’s social and cultural landscape.
Following emancipation, free workers from the West Indies migrated to Bermuda, infusing Bermudian culture with music, language, culinary traditions, and religious practices that continue to resonate today.
Often underrepresented in historical records, Bermuda’s Native American heritage endures through generations of mixed ancestry, particularly on St David’s Island. One documented account of Native Americans in Bermuda dates back to after the Pequot War (1634–1638), where Captain Anthony White brought 80 enslaved Native Americans to work as farmers, boat builders, laborers, and fishermen. Today, their descendants maintain strong cultural ties and honor their heritage through events like the biannual Powwow on St David’s Island.
Another group that significantly influenced Bermuda’s development is the Portuguese community. Bermuda’s connection to Portugal dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries during the Age of Discovery, when Portuguese ships, like those of the Spanish, English, and French, were often shipwrecked on Bermuda’s shores. The island also served as a frequent port of call for Portuguese seafarers.
The first permanent Portuguese immigrants arrived in 1849, primarily from Madeira and the Azores, in search of better opportunities. Like those from the West Indies, they brought with them a vibrant cultural legacy – preserving their language, culinary traditions, religious festivals, and social customs.
By the early 20th century, many Portuguese immigrants and their descendants had become naturalized Bermudians. Today, the Portuguese community continues to play an integral role in shaping Bermuda’s cultural landscape, contributing to the island’s unique and enduring blend of traditions.
Cultural Events
Bermuda Day
May is Bermuda’s Heritage Month, and the culminating event is Bermuda Day, celebrating over 400 years of Bermuda history and culture.
Bermuda Day is traditionally considered the first day of summer, with many Bermudians enjoying their first swim of the year, and it being the first day Bermuda shorts can be worn as business attire.
Some iconic Bermuda Day traditions and celebrations can be found below.
The Bermuda Day Half-Marathon Derby is a 13-mile course that alternates its starting point annually between Somerset and St George’s, always ending in Hamilton. It has raised over $150,000 for local charities since its inception. Bermudians line the streets to cheer on runners at all points of the course.
The Bermuda Day Parade takes place in the City of Hamilton and is organized by the Department of Culture. The Parade is signified by its bands, majorettes, dancers, Gombey troupes, and decorated floats. The floats compete for prizes in various categories. Traditional floats use natural materials while new categories have been introduced to highlight modern art. The Gombey troupes are a symbol of Bermudian culture, distinctive with their bright and colorful masks and costumes, carrying drums and whistles. Hundreds of Bermudians dance behind the Gombeys crying, “Ay-Oh!”. The parade finishes with Bermudian food stalls serving favorites including fish sandwiches and wahoo nuggets. Bermudians reserve their viewing spots weeks in advance, with some families having the same spot year after year. Some even camp out the night before to ensure their spot is not stolen.
Others have created their own traditions for Bermuda Day. Many spend the day on the water to enjoy the island’s beauty or watch the first fitted dinghy boat races of the summer.
Bermuda Day’s origins can be traced to the recommendations from the Bermuda Government commissioned 1978 Pitt Report following civil unrest in the 1960s and 1970s. An event to unify Bermudians and build civic pride was created. The already existing May 24th Half-Marathon, dating back to 1909, which took place on Empire Day (the public holiday for Queen Victoria’s birthday), was joined with a parade based on the Easter Parade of the 1930s-1960s. The first Bermuda Day Parade was held in 1979. During the 1980s, this idea was further expanded into Heritage Month. In 2018, the holiday was moved from May 24th to the fourth Friday in May.
Cup Match
This summer, Bermuda will celebrate Cup Match, a two-day cricket event between Somerset and St George’s that commemorates Emancipation. Fans proudly display their team colors: red and dark blue for Somerset, and light and dark blue for St George’s. The teams alternate hosting duties annually. But how did this cherished holiday come to be?
Bermudians were first introduced to cricket by British soldiers stationed at HM Dockyard and St George’s Garrison.
In celebration of Emancipation from slavery on August 1st, 1834, Bermuda’s Friendly Societies began holding picnics. The first official Cup Match took place on June 12th, 1902, at the Naval Cricket Field in Somerset, following a match held in St George’s the previous year that inspired the idea for an annual event. Originally, the teams competed for a silver trophy purchased from England for twenty guineas; today, a replica of that trophy is awarded. Initially, the match spanned three days, with the winning team earning the right to host the next match.
Before the 1930s, Cup Match dates varied, but they were later standardized to the Thursday and Friday before the first Monday in August. During the Second World War, Dockyard workers, as part of the war effort, temporarily shifted the dates to Friday and Saturday.
Many Bermudians risked their jobs by joining a labor strike to attend Cup Match, as it didn’t become an official holiday until 1947.
Bermuda already observed a public holiday on July 28th—Somers Day—marking the date of the Sea Venture shipwreck, which led to the island’s habitation under Sir George Somers. Somerset and St George’s Cricket Clubs, along with the Chamber of Commerce, appealed to the Government to align Emancipation Day and Somers Day on consecutive days marking the Cup Match holiday. Passing the Bill took six months, and even longer to get the matter to Parliament, in a time when Bermuda was segregated, with a predominantly white, male Parliament and a mostly black Cup Match audience.
Cup Match traditions include camping, Crown & Anchor gambling, and enjoying the iconic Bermudian Swizzle cocktail. The holiday weekend also features events like Beach Fest and Non-Mariners, the latter began as a humorous “boat” race and has since evolved into a raft-up after the race was canceled in 2018.
In 2020, Somers Day was renamed Mary Prince Day, in honor of her crucial role in the abolition of slavery through her published account of her enslavement.
A noteworthy historical connection is that our UK Representative is the great-granddaughter of Thomas Durrant, the first Somerset Captain, whose family land became Somerset Cricket Club.
Bermuda's Contribution to the Second World War
Bermudian Forces and Service
Over 3,000 Bermudians served in the First and Second World Wars, with approximately 600 volunteering for overseas service. During WWII alone, 544 Bermudians served, including 29 women—a great contribution considering Bermuda’s small population. Bermuda suffered 90 deaths in the First World War and 35 deaths in the Second World War.
Bermudian forces in the Second World War included the Bermuda Militia Artillery (BMA), Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC), Bermuda Militia Infantry (BMI), and Bermuda Volunteer Engineers (BVE). The BMA and the BVRC saw service across Europe, Africa, and Asia, alongside British and Caribbean forces. Bermudians also served overseas in the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, U.S. Air Force, and Merchant Navy. Women played a vital dual role, enlisting in the formerly mentioned and supporting the Home Guard through charitable and civil organizations such as the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade and the Bermuda Women’s Auxiliary Force.
Second Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC) Contingent photographed March 1944 in Bermuda. Source: Royal Bermuda Regiment
Men of the Bermuda Militia Artillery (BMA), who served as part of the Bermuda Contingent in the 1st Caribbean Regiment during the Second World War. Source: Royal Bermuda Regiment
Bermudian women who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the Second World War. Pictured from left to right: Lillian Bell, Daisy Vallis, Kathleen Bromby, Iris Jackson, Betty Cousland, Lucy Benevides, Frida Rigby, Joan Lee, and Mary Adams. Source: National Museum of Bermuda
Bermuda’s Strategic Importance
Bermuda’s strategic location made it a critical base for Allied operations. The Royal Naval Dockyard played a vital role in anti-submarine training and ship repairs, servicing nearly 600 vessels. Dockyard also helped maintain vital supply lines across the Atlantic, ensuring American, British and Canadian forces received supplies. Darrell’s Island and Castle Harbour were used by the Royal Air Force, with the Bermuda Flying School on Darrell’s Island training 80 pilots, some of whom served overseas with the RAF and RCAF. In 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a deal allowing the U.S. to build a military base in St. David’s.
The Bermuda Flying School, Royal Air Force station, Darrell’s Island.
Source: The Royal Gazette
Kindley Field, the U.S. military base in St David’s, Bermuda.
Source: National Museum of Bermuda
Remarkable Stories
The Imperial Censorship Station, housed in the Hamilton Princess Hotel, operated as a key Allied intelligence outpost. Staffed by over 1,000 personnel—including many young women known as Censorettes—the station intercepted and examined transatlantic mail to extract vital intelligence. Its most notable achievement was helping expose and dismantle the largest German spy ring in the U.S., led by Kurt Frederick Ludwig.
In 1941, a public campaign raised the equivalent of £1.4 million to fund four Spitfires for the Royal Air Force. The first of these aircraft, named “Bermuda I” (serial number P8507), was deployed into service but was tragically shot down by a German aircraft over Hazebrouck, France, on August 29, 1941.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a secret 24-hour visit in 1942, becoming the first world leader to cross the Atlantic by air. His address to Bermuda’s House of Assembly reflected deep gratitude for the island’s resolve, “You have cause to be proud that it has fallen to your lot to make this important contribution to a better world”.
In 1944, the U.S. Navy secretly towed the captured German submarine U-505, along with its 57 prisoners, from the coast of West Africa to their Naval Operations Base at Morgan’s Point, Bermuda, where they used its codebooks to intercept enemy messages—an operation that contributed significantly to the Allied intelligence effort.
Women processing mail at censorship headquarters, Bermuda. Source: National Museum of Bermuda
Prime Minister Winston Churchill onboard BOAC Boeing 314 flying boat “Berwick” on his way to Bermuda for a secret 24-hour visit in January 1942.
Source: Imperial War Museum (H 16637)
