Original English name for islands of Bermuda. Named for Sir George Somers (or Sommers, or Summers all of which appear in the historical record). Somers explored the area starting in 1609. The fact is that he had no plans to do so. On June 8, 1609 He left Plymouth England for the Virginia Colonies, but on the July 25 was caught in a hurricane that drove him to the islands. They stayed in the islands until May 10, 1610 when the returned to England. In 1611 he returned to the area and founded the city of Saint George Town, (Georgetown). Somer died in the islands in 1611 and the islands were renamed by the British from the old Spanish name of Bermoothes of Hogge Islands to Sommer Islands. 1615 the first coinage for any English speaking colony in the New World were issued there.