#virginia company

25 July 1609

The English ship Sea Venture wrecked on the reefs of Bermuda on this day in maritime history, 25 July 1609. Sea Venture had departed from Plymouth, England, as the flagship of a 7-ship Virginia Company fleet destined for Jamestown, Virginia. On the voyage, the fleet was caught in a hurricane and the ships separated. Although it fought the storm for several days, Sea Venture’s timbers had not yet set and the ship began to leak rapidly as the caulking was forced out from between the timbers.

Having spied land on the morning of 25 July, the captain made for the reefs of what proved to be Bermuda and ran the ship aground in the hopes that the passengers and crew (and one dog) could be saved. All 150 people aboard Sea Venture were saved (including the dog), though they were stranded on Bermuda for nine months, during which time they built two new ships from Bermuda cedar and parts salvaged from Sea Venture, especially her rigging. The survivors left Bermuda in various groups, each suffering a different fate. Three survivors remained on Bermuda and a permanent colony was established in 1612.

The coat of arms of Bermuda depicts a red lion holding a shield that has a depiction of a wrecked ship upon it. The red lion is a symbol of England and alludes to Bermuda’s relationship with that country. The wrecked ship is the Sea Venture, the flagship of the Virginia Company. The Latin motto under the coat of arms, Quo Fata Ferunt, means “Whither the Fates Carry [Us]”.