Juan de Bermúdez

Who was Juan de Bermúdez?

Juan de Bermúdez was a Spanish navigator of the 16th century. In 1505, while sailing back to Spain from a provisioning voyage to Hispaniola in the ship La Garça, he discovered Bermuda, which was later named after him. Legatio Babylonica, published in 1511 by Peter Martyr d'Anghiera, lists "La Bermuda" among the Atlantic islands. In 1515 he returned to Bermuda, landing a dozen pigs and sows for any unlucky mariners who might later be castaway there. Bermúdez was born in Palos ca. 1449, and this is based on his own testimony as he was about 65 yrs old in 1515 when declaring in the hearings between the Spanish Crown and the Columbus family.