History of Eleuthera and Harbour Island

According to historical lore, the original settlers called it Eleuthera, after the Greek word for freedom.

The first English settlers of Eleuthera shipped Braselitto wood to Boston as a thank you for the support given by the people of Massachusetts. The proceeds from the sale of this precious wood went to purchase the land for Harvard College, which eventually became Harvard University.

The black residents are direct descendants of African slaves brought to the island in the 1700s. These slaves were emancipated in the mid-1800s.

Eleuthera has been a romantic hideaway for the British Royal Family for many years. This 110 mile long island is where HRH Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana spent a holiday in 1982 and where Prince Edward proposed to Sophie in 1999.