Historical ‘Seabright’, across from Devonshire Dock on the North Shore, is a grand old, gracious cottage by the bay that has a lot of character. Long ago it was known as ‘Snug Corner’.

One of the most impressive things about the house is the large veranda with its intricate white gingerbread fret work. The veranda offers a lovely view of the bay and beyond to the North Shore. It appeals to the senses. One feels cool, as caressing breezes prevail and smells of the fresh salt sea waft the shore.

It is the perfect place to entertain, enjoy a morning coffee, or sit off and day dream. Majestic palms surround the property like silent soldiers dutifully standing watch over paradise.

Josiah Cox is believed to have built ‘Seabright’ at the time of his marriage in 1755 which sits upon four and one half acres of lush tended gardens and grounds that once upon a time sported a tennis court.

According to the book ‘Bermuda’s Architectural Heritage Devonshire’, written by the Bermuda National Trust in 1995 — currently out of print, ‘Seabright’ is an 18th century U-shaped form with a residential storey raised above storage space. The storage space would have probably been for cargo and gear related to the seafaring of the owners years ago.

Seabright has been enlarged to suit the Dills, subsequent owners of the property. The current owner, Katie Fetigan, youngest child of Tommy and Marge Dill, inherited this fine home from her parents about nine years ago.

The vivacious Mrs. Fetigan said: “I grew up here with my wonderful family and lived here until age 20. I married and lived elsewhere for 30 years and now I am back home with my husband.

“My parents travelled all over the world and you can look around and see artefacts from their lives and that from my grandparents too.”

Despite being the ancestral home of the Dills, few if any spirits are hanging around except maybe at the family bar. The home has a delightful aura about it and as soon as you walk past the entrance gate tranquillity engulfs you.

“My parents were wonderful, happy people, very loving and rather philanthropic. Father was a lawyer and very nurturing. We entertained friends and family constantly.

“We have never experienced anything unusual here, that is ghosts,” said Mrs. Fetigan.

When you enter the home from the front veranda there is an expansive foyer in the middle with two handsomely furnished old world parlours, one on the right and one on the left.

The one on the left was Mrs. Fetigan’s bedroom when she was a girl. Today both front rooms are filled with fine antiques and ancestral portraits.

One of the most interesting rooms is the library, rich in cedar work, and a fire place, it has a secret door leading into another room in the house. Going along pass the library and dining room there is the master bedroom with an attractive white canopy mahogany bed with several antique chests. The walls are lined with pictures of adored family members of the past and present.

The kitchen is located in the back of the house which is typical of many eighteenth century homes. Historically, the kitchens were built close to the main house.

It is believed that ‘Seabright’ had a separate kitchen which dates from the original construction and has the usual wide fireplace and bake oven with a separate flue.

As the National Trust points out: “The astonishing addition to the chimney was an attempt to clear the smoke above the increased height of the house when the two-storey addition was added at the back.”

Upstairs there are two spacious bedrooms with ensuite baths.The lovely gardens are just as admirable as the house and beautiful flowers such as garden roses and snapdragons abound. The railway trail borders the back of the property.

“As a small child we had a horse and a small stable on the property located about where our ‘secret garden’ is now. The secret garden is walled up and you have to be on the property to see it. Currently it is planted with vegetables.

“There are two fields of lawn. I tend the little one in the front and my husband does the rest. We have a passion for gardening — you have to if you live here.”

Mrs. Fetigan mentioned that once upon a time the formal dining room was an open garden.

A lovely patio, which is very private, stretches out from the kitchen and dining room onto the garden area.

‘Seabright’ is a charming house where illustrious people have lived. Mrs. Fetigan’s grandfather, Thomas Melville Dill was Bermuda’s Attorney General and Thomas Newbold Dill was her father. Actor, Michael Douglas is her cousin.

Chelsea of Seabright sounds like she could be a duchess but rather she is the constant companion of Mrs. Fetigan. Chelsea, a huge English Bull Mastiff, the grand dame of the estate, is ever vigilant and a marvellous watchdog.

The lady of the house and the beast of the property are quite a devoted couple who love each other and enjoy living at ‘Seabright’.