BERMUDA
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The Bermudas or
Somers Islands, is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Bermuda was
discovered in 1505 by Spanish sea captain Juan de Bermúdez, after whom the islands are
named, who claimed it for the Spanish Empire. Although he paid two visits to
the archipelago, Bermúdez never set foot on the uninhabited islands.
Subsequent Spanish or other visitors are believed to have released the feral
pigs that were abundant on the island when settlement began. The archipelago
was settled by England in 1609, by the Virginia
Company, which had established Jamestown on the Continent two years
earlier. Administered as an extension of Virginia by the Virginia Company
until 1614, and by its successor, the Somers Isles Company, from 1615 until 1684,
Bermuda became a British colony following the 1707 unification of the Kingdom
of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the unified Kingdom of
Great Britain. |
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The Virginia
Company ran Bermuda until 1614, when the Crown briefly took over the Colony's
administration. The adventurers (shareholders) of the Virginia Company formed
a second company, the Somers Isles Company, to which Bermuda was transferred
in 1615. The Virginia Company was dissolved in 1622, with the administration
of its continental colony passing to the Crown. The Somers Isles Company,
with its separate charter, continued to administer Bermuda for another six
decades until 1684. The achievement
of the company was: Arms: Argent, a crossGules between the royally crowned arms of England, Scotland,
Ireland and England. Crest: A crowned virgin issuant Or Supporters: Two soldiers in full armory bearing
coats of arms Argent, a cross Gules and armed with a spear. Motto: EN DAT VIRGINIA
QUINTAM. |
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Bermudas Company (The Company of Merchants of the
Summer Islands) |
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An achievement
for Bermuda is in the lower margin of the frontispiece of The
Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles of Captain John Smith.(1624)
It is: Arms: a representation of the wreck of the ship “The Sea Venture”(A.D. 1609) all proper. Supporter: A lion sejant affronté Gules. Motto: QUO FATA FERUNT (Whither the Fates carry). The achievement is also on the Mappa ÆSTIVARVM insularvm alias BERMUDAS of Willem Blaeu, dated 1640:
[Seal with] the
achievement of Bermudas, 1640 In 1636 a full achievement was granted to the company. It is: |
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Modern rendering of the 1635
achievement of the Somer Isles Company [1] Arms: A ship at sea between two rocks on the dexter side the main-mast and mizzen-mast only seen, the top broken off, and sails furled all ppr. Crest: On a wreath of the colours (argent and gules) on a mount vert, a boar standing between two branches of laurel proper. Supporters: Two young Tritons, each blowing a conch-shell proper. Motto: “PERIISSEMUS NISI PERIISEMUS”(We had been lost if we had not been lost). [Granted by Borough, Garter, 1635. Misc. Gts., iv. 5.] [2] |
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or Somers Islands, otherwise the Summer Islands At the end of the 19th century however, after the Company was dissolved in 1684 and Bermuda had become a British Colony, a different emblem was used on the flag of the colony:
Badge used 1880 ca-1910 The badge showed a dock and three ships on the roads. |
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In 1910 the achievement was put on a white shield and the motto was added below on a scroll: Arms: Argent, on a mount vert, a lion sejant affronte gules, supporting between the fore-paws an antique shield azure thereon a representation of the wreck of the ship “The Sea Venture”(A.D. 1609) all proper. Motto - “Quo fata ferunt.”. [Assigned by Royal Warrant, 1910] [The edge of the antique shield is gold. The “Sea Venture” was the ship of Admiral Sir George Somers, who first colonized the islands. [3] Æ see illustration in the head of this essay. On the blue and the red ensign the motto was omitted.
Badge of Bermuda, 1910 |
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Seal of King George VI (1936-’52) for Bermuda· The royal achievement and the arms of Bermuda surrounded by the legend: GEORGE–VI–BY–THE– GRACE–OF–GOD–KING–DEFENDER–OF–THE–FAITH–EMPEROR–OF–INDIA–OF–GREAT–BRITAIN–IRELAND –AND–THE– BRITISH–DOMINIONS–BEYOND–THE– SEAS–.
Governor’s Flag |
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Army |
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The home
defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda is the Bermuda
Regiment. It is a single territoria linfantry battalion that was formed in
1965 by the amalgamation of two originally voluntary units, the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC)
and the Bermuda Militia Artillery (BMA). |
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Bermuda
Volunteer Rifle Corps Badge |
Bermuda
Militia Artillery Badge |
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Bermuda
Regiment Colors
Bermuda
Regiment Badge |
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Police |
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Cap badge and Badge of
King George’s Police |
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Cap badge and Sleeve
Patch of Queen Elizabeth II’s Police
Queen Elizabeth II’s
Bermuda Police Service logo |
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© Hubert de Vries 2012-03-30
Heraldry of the World