St. David’s Island
Bermuda was accidentally discovered in 1609 after ships from England, en route to rescue starving settlers in Jamestown Virginia, got shipwrecked on this small archipelago smack dab in the Atlantic Ocean. The shipwreck had the survivors remaining on the island for almost a year before they could build new ships, outfit them with supplies and journey to Jamestown, Virginia. Three men did not make that journey to Virginia. Robert Waters who was charged with mutiny and was forced to remain behind. Edward Chard and Christopher Carter chose to remain with him.
The “Three Kings” as they dubbed themselves opted to make their home on Smith’s Island which proves to be one of the oldest named part of Bermuda. This small island to the east of today’s airport was named after Sir Thomas Smith who was the first Governor of The Bermuda Company (not to be confused with the first Governor of Bermuda). Smith’s island is approximately 61 acres of property and is the sixth largest island in the parish of St. George’s. Smith’s Island is significant as it is the site of the first permanent human settlement as it is agreed that the settlement set up by the shipwrecked passengers from 1609-1610 was never intended to be permanent but the settlement made by the “Three Kings” was indeed intended to be permanent.
The three men built a cabin and it is surmised that they may have built several boats to allow them to navigate and explore other islands in the Bermuda archipelago. In fact, it is on one of these expeditions that they encountered a large lump of waxy substance that was extremely valuable at the time – whale chyme or vomit known as ambergris. This was very valuable to perfume makers because of its aromatic flowery scent. In fact, it was on Smith’s Island that Bermuda’s first whale house would later be built. This was significant as many are not aware that whaling in Bermuda preempted whaling in New England. The meat ― sea beef was quite common along with the whale bones for corsets, furniture and the blubber was used for lamp oil.
The “Three Kings” built a water catchment to collect rainwater (Bermuda is made up of very soft stone – limestone and is too porous to trap water and create rivers and streams). They also collected sea water to make salt which was used to cure their meat – turtles, fish, wild hog and cahows (birds). Carter, Chard and Waters were successful in growing tobacco, corn, beans and gourds, such as pumpkin and melons. It is worth mentioning that their ability to set up home, build a settlement and ensure that they thrived was no minor accomplishment. This was a major feat for that time period.
Their settlement was so successful, in fact, that when Governor Moore arrived on the island some 20 months later in 1612, he was able to appreciate the hard work accomplished by Carter, Waters and Chard and Smith’s Island is where Governor Moore decided to settle and build on the extreme northeast tip of the island and establish the island’s first seat of government. It would be later that Governor Moore would decide to relocate to St. George’s Island and build a new town there with the colonists. The island had deep anchorage, making Smith’s Bay an excellent Boat Harbour. The area was well wooded and it would have required a lot of hard labour to fell trees and clear the land. The men, along with Governor Moore’s delivery of settlers in 1612 were able to clear 15 acres of arable land for planting. Moore brought with him 81 varieties of seeds that became part of Bermuda’s early agriculture which began on Smith’s Island.
Currently, the only structure that sits on Smith’s Island is Forbes House although 19th Century maps indicate a cluster of outbuildings which no longer exist. Forbes House was built in 1770s as a summer home and farm by Dr. George Forbes. Cognizant of how quickly diseases spread when people lived in close knit communities, he built Forbes House as a retreat for his family to avoid exposure and contamination. Forbes House which would have been considered palatial for its time, passed through many hands since then.
Smith’s Island now comes under the Bermuda National trust and 23 acres of the island is reserved for youth activities. The Trust has also made it possible for the reforestation of Bermuda’s endemic cedar trees (that were almost decimated by a scale insect in the 1940s).
Smith’s Island has seen an upsurge in interest in the past few years as a result of two ventures: An archeological dig headed by Dr Michael Jarvis of the University of Rochester and his students and plans by Uwe Lipfert and Dana Masters to operate an aquaponics farm.
Professor Jarvis’ archaeological investigations on the early inhabitants of Smith’s Island have been ongoing since 2015. Excavation has already unearthed post holes where the “Three Kings” would have set up their domicile. A water catchment that they had built to collect rainwater was also unearthed. One location in particular, Cave Site provides evidence of drinking and socializing. Oven Site is where two ovens were cut into the rock hence the name of the site. Large quantities of bird and fish bones have been unearthed from the Oven Site. A hard stone not found in Bermuda was discovered at the Oven Site, which gives credence to the fact that nine Native American slaves were brought to Bermuda from the Carolinas in 1706 and the rocks were used as flint to start fires. Children’s toys and women’s hairbrushes were found at Small Pox Bay which suggests that families were located there which is an anomaly as the site is believed to be a military site which is supported by the discovery of several military buttons. Bermuda’s partnership with the Dr. Jarvis and The University of Rochester is an opportunity for Bermuda to discover more of its early history.
Plans are currently afoot for the creation of an aquaponics farm to have 480 square feet of shaded fish tanks for fish farming and 1152 square feet greenhouses to protect vertical crops. The ability to grow produce in particular, on Smith’s Island should be a welcome to islanders who rely on the majority of produce being imported from the USA.
