The shore of St. George's Harbour was the site of the first settlements in Bermuda, which occurred in the early 17th century. The crew and passengers of the Sea Venture, driven onto the reefs off St. Catherine's Point in 1609, stayed on St. George's Island for nearly a year. When most departed, two men remained behind on Smith's Island, where a third rejoined them, later. When the first intentional settlers arrived from England in 1609, they settled very briefly on St. David's Island, before moving across the Harbour to create St. George's, the oldest continuously-inhabited English settlement in the New World. The harbour was well fortified during this time, as can still be seen in the several period forts located nearby.