| Picture coming soon! | Sir George Somers was born in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England in 1554 to John and Alice Somer. Before 1583, he married Joan Haywood, daughter of Phillip Haywood, a yeoman of Lyme Regis, but had no surviving children. Somers was an adventurer and a Naval Commander who led privateering ventures against the Spanish. In 1589, He commanded the Flibcote and, along with three other vessels, brought £8000 worth of Spanish treasure to Dartmouth and in 1595, he joined Sir Amyas Preston as second in command on an expedition to modern-day Venezuela. They tried to capture San Jago de Leon, modern-day Caracas but failed after it was burned. Somers was knighted in 1603 for his command of the Vanguard and the Warspite, which was formerly commanded by Sir Walter Raleigh. He was one of the founders of the London Company in 1606 and was granted a charter by King James I to found colonies in America. The first charter they obtained from the King allowed them to found Jamestown. The following charter was what lead Somers to Virginia on the Sea Venture in which he invested £300. Somers was placed as admiral of the fleet of nine that sailed to Virginia under the authority of Governor Thomas West, Baron De La Warr, and Deputy Governor Sir Thomas Gates. |