The 1890s saw tremendous changes within the British military, including on our island where the Bermuda Militia Artillery and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps were formed to bring Bermudians in the defence system of the place.

Those forces and their successors amalgamated to form the now Royal Bermuda Regiment in 1965, with its headquarters at Warwick Camp, a summer training facility for the British Garrison from the mid-1800s.

Having a bit of a naval component, one suspects that most of the personnel of the Regiment know how to swim, which was not always the case with the military on the seas.

In the 1890s, gun steel was invented and modern cannon, known as rifles, came into existence. That led to the rearming of the Bermuda forts, especially the largest, new facility at St David’s Battery, where two pairs of 6-inch and 9.2-inch rifles were manned by the Bermuda Militia Artillery, the smaller set being so maintained into the end of coastal defence throughout the British Empire in the 1950s.

At sea in the 1890s, the last “pre-dreadnought” ships were being built, although they were soon obsolete. HMS Renown, being one such vessel was launched in 1895 and ready for service in early 1897.

One name associated with that ship and Bermuda was the Admiral of the Fleet John “Jackie” Fisher, considered by some to be the greatest British naval officer after Lord Nelson of Trafalgar (1805).

Fisher first appeared in Bermuda as early as 1877 as flag captain on HMS Bellerophon, but he returned 20 years later on the Renown as Commander of the North America and West Indies Station, headquartered at Admiralty House, Pembroke, with his fleet in readiness at Grassy Bay off the Bermuda Dockyard.

Fisher was later largely responsible for the revolutionary ship HMS Dreadnought and many advances in weaponry: it is not known if he could swim.

Moving 120 years to the present, one of the legacies the National Museum has received from the America’s Cup was a gold pocket watch, brought to the island on their yacht at the behest of museum members Jason and Rena Pilalas of Florida.

Made by Dent’s of London, the inside back of the watch is engraved thus: “To J G Williams in grateful remembrance of 30th November 1897 from Captain and Mrs. Riddel, H.M.S. Renown, Bermuda”.

The new battleship HMS Renown had just arrived in Bermuda on November 12 as the flagship for Admiral “Jackie” Fisher (who lived on board in well-appointed accommodation with Lady Fisher and their three daughters).

Daniel McNab Riddel, a Canadian by birth, was its captain. Perhaps regretting his inability to sample the pristine waters of Grassy Bay, Capt Riddel somehow ended up in the sea and was drowning, as he could not swim, on the fateful Tuesday of November 30.

Ordinary Seaman James Glasson Williams had picked up the skill of swimming (perhaps not taught at the Royal Naval College for officers, now part of the “Maritime Greenwich’”World Heritage Site) and rescued his boss from the depths of Grassy Bay, a timely swim.

In perhaps an unusual vote of thanks, Capt and Mrs Riddel presented Williams with the engraved timepiece and each Christmas, for the rest of his life, James Glasson received a gift of money from the grateful couple.

Edward Harris PHD is Executive Director of the National Museum of Bermuda (director@nmb.bm)