Jeffrey's Cave Bermuda

 
 
The cave, located at Bermuda's Spittal Pond Reserve area in Smiths' Parish is named after a slave Jeffrey who escaped his master and hid there for over a month. 
 
During Bermuda's Slavery period, many slaves took their chances to flee in search of freedom despite the fact that they had very slim chances. The owners would advertise in Bermuda's daily The Royal Gazette about the escaped slave and offered rewards for information or return of the slave. 
 
 
 
Those days, hiding an escaped slave or to re-employ him or her without the knowledge of the original master was illegal. However, despite such rewards and laws, the slaves used to help their fellow slaves to escape or hide. But the island is too small (just 21 square miles) and hiding in such a small place for a longtime was always difficult unless one could board a ship and flee. 
 
Most of the slaves while absconding, tried to return to their earlier parish where they lived or moved towards St. George with the hope of boarding a ship and escape the island. But in vast majority of the cases, they were re-captured. In one such occasion, Jeffrey, a young slave had escaped his master. 
 
After several days of search, it was concluded that he would have boarded a ship and escaped from the island. The search operation was abandoned. 
 
Later, the master noticed that another young slave girl of 15 years age who worked at his house, started showing some strange behavior. Almost every day after sunset, she would disappear with a small packet. Once the master followed her along the rocky south shore and noted her destination. 
 
Next day he along with his friend re-traced the route and found Jeffrey hiding in a well concealed cave. Jeffrey's freedom came to an end after over a month of hiding.  
 
The cave still bears his name on it. It is part of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail of Bermuda that traces the legacy of slavery in the island. 
 

Open Hours

 
The Spittal Pond Reserve where the cave is located, is open daily from dawn to dusk.  
Admission is free. 
 

Location and Contacts

 
Visit the Tourist Map to view the location of Spittal Pond and other attractions around. 
South Road, Smith's Parish.  
Call 441/236-6483 for further information.  
Bus Routes: #1 and #3  (operate between Hamilton and St George). 
 
Road Map 
 
 
 
Raj BhattacharyaBy Raj Bhattacharya 
Raj, a seasoned travel writer and Bermuda destination expert, has extensive global travel experience. This website reflects his profound insights, garnered over nearly two decades of dedicated findings and research on the island. Raj has assisted countless Bermuda-bound visitors by providing direct, personalized responses to their queries and imparting his wealth of knowledge through this platform. This site serves as an indispensable guide for those seeking informed and reliable insights into Bermuda's treasures. 
 
Know more about Raj Bhattacharya 
 
 
 

Related Articles

 
 
1) Check out Bermuda Caves to know about the other great caves in Bermuda. 
 
2) Check out Bermuda's Slavery Period to know how slaves came to Bermuda and why. 
 
3) Check out Smith's Bermuda to know about all other attractions in the parish. 
 

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