The town of St. George has strengthened its historical bond with Jamestown, Virginia, by becoming its twin city.

St. George Mayor Kenneth Bascome said he recently received word that the James City County Board of Supervisors has accepted a proposal to twin the communities.

"The Corporation [of St. George] just recently made an overture to Jamestown to be twins with them and they accepted," Mr. Bascome said.

"The decision has now been finalised, and we are now working on a few fine points."

He said St. George and Jamestown have a strong historical link, with Sir George Somers crashing the Sea Venture in the town en route to Jamestown.

When the settlers finally arrived in Virginia after being shipwrecked here, they found the colony on its last legs.

George Cook of the St. George's Foundation said: "I would argue that we really saved their bacon.

"A lot of the people who arrived on the Sea Venture stayed there, and some of them played a significant role in the development of the community."

Among the survivors were Sir George Yeardy, who would become Governor of Virginia, and John Rolfe, the man who would marry Native American princess Pocahontas.

The original site of the settlement is now known as Historic Jamestowne. It is a popular tourist destination along with the nearby 'living museum', Jamestown Settlement.

On July 27, the James City County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution accepting the twinning with St. George and acknowledging the key role Bermuda played in the settlement's survival.

The resolution also called for the board to "collaborate with the town to celebrate and augment historical events in commemoration of its contributions to the endurance of Jamestown".

While the agreement has been made in principle, Dr. Cook said he hopes an official signing will take place on the Island in autumn.

"It has officially taken place, but what we are hoping is that we can have people come down here in November for a kind of signing ceremony with the bells ringing and everything," he said.

The signing makes Jamestown the second town or city twinned with St. George after Lyme Regis in England, Sir George Somers' hometown.

Dr. Cook said that the twinning could lead, over time, to an influx of visitors to the old town.

"Think of the hundreds and thousands of people descended from the settlers," he said. "Thousands of people claim to be descended from John Rolfe and Pocahontas alone.

"There is certainly the potential to do something with that.

"Over time, it is possible that we could develop a new Bermuda Triangle using our connections to Lyme Regis and James City County and show people the significance of all three places.

"It's a romantic idea, but it's one that may attract people."