In the spring of 1806, London wine & spirits merchant James Gosling set out from England aboard the chartered clipper Mercury with merchandise bound for the Virginias. The voyage was a difficult one. Ninety-one consecutive days of calm left the crew & passengers in dire straits & the charter of Mercury was fast running out. The ship eventually made port in St. Georges, Bermuda, where Gosling & his family decided to set up shop rather than press on to America. James Gosling opened a shop on King's Parade, St George's in December 1806. To this day the company remains the oldest surviving business in Bermuda & is still a family concern.