Sir George Somers | |
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Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis | |
In office 19 March 1604 – 10 February 1610 | |
Personal details | |
Born | before Lyme Regis, Dorset, England | 24 April 1554
Died | 9 November 1610 Bermuda | (aged 56)
Resting place | Whitchurch Canonicorum |
Occupation | Privateer, sea captain |
Awards | Knight Bachelor (1603) |
Employer | Virginia Company of London |
Military service | |
Branch | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1595–1606 |
Rank | Captain |
Wars | Anglo-Spanish War |
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 Sir Amyas Preston that plundered Caracas and Santa Ana de Coro in 1595, during the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War. He is remembered today as the founder of the English colony of Bermuda, also known as the Somers Isles.