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Thomas Somers (sailor)

Thomas Somers (died 1609) was an English sailor, pilot, and colonist, best known for his role in the voyage of the Sea Venture in 1609 and his connection to the early settlement of Bermuda.

Somers was a skilled pilot and navigator in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His expertise was highly valued during the period of English expansion into the New World. He served as the pilot of the Sea Venture, the flagship of the Virginia Company's Third Supply, bound for Jamestown in 1609. This voyage was intended to reinforce the struggling Jamestown colony with supplies and additional settlers.

The Sea Venture was caught in a severe hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. After days of battling the storm, the ship was deliberately grounded on the reefs of Bermuda to prevent it from sinking. All passengers and crew survived the wreck.

Somers played a crucial role in the survival and subsequent actions of the survivors on Bermuda. The island was uninhabited, providing a respite for the stranded colonists. Using the ship's salvaged materials, they built two new vessels, the Deliverance and the Patience, which allowed them to continue their journey to Jamestown.

While most of the survivors eventually sailed to Jamestown, Somers, along with a small crew, returned to Bermuda aboard the Deliverance later in 1609. He intended to collect more supplies for the Jamestown colony. However, Somers died shortly after arriving back in Bermuda.

His heart was buried in Bermuda, while his body was taken back to England and buried in Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset. Somers' experience on Bermuda, and accounts of the island's resources and beauty, were influential in the eventual colonization of Bermuda by England. Bermuda was initially named the Somers Isles in his honor, a name that persists to some extent today. He is considered a significant figure in the early history of both Virginia and Bermuda.