2009 SESSION

INTRODUCED REPRINT

096811544 INTRODUCED 1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 868 2 Offered February 6, 2009 3 Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Bermuda. 4 ±±±±±±±±±± Patrons±±Howell, W.J., Cox, Hamilton, Ingram, Johnson, Kilgore, Landes, Plum and Purkey 5 ±±±±±±±±±± 6 WHEREAS, Bermuda, which has a long and rich history with close ties to Jamestown, Virginia, will 7 celebrate its quadricentennial on July 28, 2009; and 8 WHEREAS, originally discovered by the Spanish, Bermuda was called the "Isle of Devils" by the 9 English because of the sudden storms and difficult channels to navigate; and 10 WHEREAS, in 1609 a fleet of nine vessels left England for Virginia; one of these, the "Sea Venture" 11 was caught in a hurricane and became shipwrecked on one of the Bermuda islands; two new ships were 12 built in Bermuda to take the settlers to Virginia, and those settlers included Sir Thomas Gates, the first 13 Governor of the Jamestown Colony, and John Rolfe, who later married Pocahontas; and 14 WHEREAS, some scholars believe that this epic tale of a hurricane, sea wreck, and subsequent 15 rescue was the foundation of William Shakespeare©s well-known and loved play, The Tempest; and 16 WHEREAS, enchanted by reports of Bermuda©s beautiful and abundant flora and fauna, the English 17 sent a ship in 1612 with settlers, including the first governor, Richard Moore, to establish the first 18 English town there, St. George©s; the Bermuda Company, a subsidiary of the Virginia Company, was 19 formed to raise money and supplies for colonizing Bermuda; and 20 WHEREAS, the colony continued to grow and in 1620, one year after the first legislative assembly 21 met at Jamestown, the statehouse in Bermuda was used for the first time, and in 1684 Bermuda became

22 a crown colony of England; and HJ868 23 WHEREAS, the influence of Bermuda on Virginia history continued in the 1700s when Robert 24 Dinwiddie, the colonial administrator of Bermuda, came to Virginia and was appointed Lieutenant 25 Governor in 1751; his patronage of a young George Washington greatly influenced Washington©s career 26 in the military; and 27 WHEREAS, St. George Tucker, a student from Bermuda, came to The College of William and Mary 28 in 1771; he was best known for his edition of Blackstone©s Commentaries, the leading American law 29 text of its day; St. George Tucker went on to serve at every level in Virginia©s court system; and 30 WHEREAS, today Bermuda is a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom with the 31 Governor and Commander-in-Chief appointed by the Queen; the people of Bermuda enjoy a high 32 standard of living with an economy based primarily on international finance and tourism; and 33 WHEREAS, with beautiful islands, a vibrant culture, and a temperate climate, Bermuda draws 34 tourists from around the world who see and experience what the founders of Bermuda and Virginia did; 35 and

5:20 36 WHEREAS, during all of 2009, the people of Bermuda will celebrate their illustrious and exciting 37 400-year history with many commemorative events and festivities; and 38 WHEREAS, the 400th anniversary of Bermuda©s founding is an excellent time for Virginians to

3/22/10 39 remember and celebrate the intertwined origins and histories of Bermuda and Virginia and the unique 40 contributions of Bermuda to Virginia and American history; now, therefore, be it 41 RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly 42 commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Bermuda; and, be it 43 RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution 44 for presentation to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bermuda, 45 Sir Richard Gozney; and the Premier of Bermuda, Dr. the Hon. Ewart Brown, as an expression of the 46 General Assembly©s appreciation of Bermuda©s rich history and culture and best wishes for a joyful 47 400th anniversary celebration.