History of Hamilton Bermuda
Hamilton City, the capital of Bermuda was named after Henry Hamilton who was the Governor of the island between 1788 - 1794. Although he had a checkered career prior to being appointed as the Governor of Bermuda, he was known in the island as a successful and committed person. Following his stint in Bermuda, he became Governor of the Caribbean island Dominica.
It was during his tenure in 1790s when the government of Bermuda acquired a 145 acre land in Pembroke on request from the local merchants. The idea was to make it a commercial center of the island. This piece of land went on to become a small town initially and then the city of Hamilton.
While the town development was taking place, the area along the
Hamilton Harbor was required to be developed as a wharf area which has now become the Hamilton Dock and a port for the cruise ships. The roads were required to be 50-ft wide in the town.
In 1795, Daniel Tucker was appointed as the first Mayor of Hamilton. On January 23, 1815 Bermuda's Capital was shifted from St. George's Town to Hamilton against severe objections from the people of the old town of St. George.
In 1852, the first ever hotel in Hamilton known as the
Hamilton Hotel came up. It was located near the
City Hall car park and initially offered 36 rooms. It went through several renovations and expansions over the years.
This was the first hotel which started to help open up the
Tourism industry in Bermuda which eventually became a major force of economy in the island. Unfortunately the hotel was completely destroyed by fire in 1950s and was never rebuilt.
It was only in 1897 after the
Bermuda Cathedral of Most Holy Trinity was built, Queen Victoria conferred the 'City' status to Hamilton which used to be known as
Town of Hamilton until then.
Today Hamilton City is a major hub in the world for offshore
International Business particularly in the area of Insurance and Re-Insurance sectors. It is also the second major port in Bermuda after the Royal Naval Dockyard in Sandys. Other than being the commercial center of the island, the port capital has developed to become a place for major tourist attractions due to the activities, hotels, restaurants and the sightseeing opportunities that it offers.
Related Articles
1) Check out
Hamilton Bermuda for hotels, restaurants, attractions, activities and other information about Hamilton city.
2) Check out
Pembroke Parish know about where Hamilton City is located and also about all its attractions, activities, restaurants, hotels and more.
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