Devonshire Parish – From Cavendish Tribe to one of Bermuda's nine parishes
Devonshire Parish is one of the nine original parishes of Bermuda. In the colony’s early days the divisions were called “tribes”, and this one was first known as Cavendish Tribe, later Devonshire Tribe, after William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire (1552–1626), one of the investors behind the settlement. His name also lives on in Devonshire Redoubt on Castle Island, part of the historic fortifications guarding Castle Harbour in St. George’s Parish.
These names tie the parish to the beginnings of English settlement on Bermuda in the early seventeenth century. Today Devonshire is a central, largely residential part of the island. Have you got memories, photos or stories from Devonshire? We would love for you to add them here.