Somerset Off The Beaten Path Tips by grandmaR

Sandy's Rectory (Bridge House)

Next to the Somerset Bridge is Sandy's Rectory which was built about 1740 by Chief Justice John Tucker. The historical record says:

"Tradition has it that artisans were brought from England. A fanlight above the folding doors between the two parlours is said to have been copied from the embroidered design of Miss Kitty Tucker's petticoat, the daughter of Chief Justice Tucker. The house was passed down to the eldest of the six sons, Henry (als "Somerset Henry"). He married Frances, sister of St George Tucker of Williamsburg, Virginia. Henry started The Somerset Bridge Club, an intellectual society and was a member of the Assembly. He was implicated in planning the gunpowder plot, where powder was removed from the Government magazine on 14 August 1775, for use by the American revolutionaries. Henry's father-in-law was Colonel Henry Tucker." ( Bermuda Historical Quarterly Vol XXV, No 1, 1968).

Compare this picture taken in 1963 with one taken in 2004 (which is the last one in the travelogue).