Sir George Somers

Admiral Sir George Somers (1554–1610) was an English naval hero, knighted for his achievements and the Admiral of the Virginia Company. He achieved renown as part of an expedition led by Sir Amyas Preston that plundered Caracas and 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.

Born in Lyme Regis, Dorset, in 1554, George was the son of John Somers and his wife.

From a young age he became a skilled and well-known seaman and owned at least one ship, the Julian, whose home port was Lyme Regis. Somers' first venture in command of the Flibcote, in company of three other vessels during the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War, on a raid to Spain; he brought home Spanish prizes worth more than £8,000.

Somers then joined up with another seaman who had fought against the Spanish armada. Both agreed to take part in Walter Raleigh’s proposed expedition to Trinidad and Guiana in 1595 in the hope of finding El Dorado as well as to commit to amphibious descents throughout the Spanish Main with them. However, after failing to meet, the expedition went on their own venture along the coast of the Spanish Province of Venezuela and captured the fort at La Guaira before they headed South inland. After making an arduous trek through the mountains of pico Naiguata the English led by Preston and Somers were able to outmanoeuvre the waiting Spanish force and captured the colonial city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas. After the failure of a ransom they plundered and torched the city and then went to capture Santa Ana de Coro before they made a brief excursion to the Spanish West Indies. Despite the challenges they faced the expedition was a success for the English who were able to return unmolested with some profit having set out as only a supporting expedition.

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