He is perhaps the most unpopular governor in Bermuda's history.
There was so much antagonism between Governor George Bruere and islanders that his family believed he was killed by the stress of the arguments.
But his reputation is not stopping Bermuda giving Lt. Col. George James Bruere a grand burial - 230 years after his death.
The remains of the 18th Century governor were discovered last year in an unmarked grave below the floorboards at St. Peter's Church in St. George.
They will be formally returned to the ground in a more auspicious grave next week, amid all the pomp and ceremony that befits his position.
Rev. David Raths, St. Peter's pastor, said: "They dug him up, so we have to put him back.
"He was a governor and he needed to be dealt with respectfully. I couldn't just shove him back under the floor or put him in a corner of the graveyard.
"I needed to find a place fitting for a governor - especially one that is well known, or infamous in the eyes of some."
Bruere's remains were found last summer when archeologists from the Bermuda National Trust and Boston University crawled into forgotten spaces below St. Peter's Church.
They were aiming to find out more about the original foundations of the 400-year-old building when they discovered two skeletons - Bruere and an 18th Century sea captain, Sir Jacob Wheate.
The bones were carefully removed and analysed to see if they revealed how the men died.
The find prompted questions as to why a governor was afforded such a marginal burial plot and why was there no flag or memorial to mark his resting place.
Was he buried beneath the church because he had yellow fever?
Or was his grave covered over and forgotten because he was so unpopular?
Full results of the bone analysis have not been returned but Rev. Raths believes the grave was covered over and forgotten when the church was extended in 1815.
He said: "It's the only thing that makes sense".
Bruere's remains will be "re-entombed" next to Governor Alured Popple.
He also died in the 1700s but was afforded a much more impressive plot in the graveyard.
The National Trust is building Governor Bruere a fresh coffin and he will be given an old tomb that was vandalized but has now been repaired.
Rev. Raths said: "The ceremony will be modelled on a funeral service but modified because he's already had one. It is going to be a very grand occasion."
The re-burial on June 7 at 3pm is open to the general public. There is an invitation-only reception afterwards hosted by the current governor, Sir Richard Gozney. A band will play and funds will be raised so that the archeology team can go back to work.
Rev. Raths said: "They are dying to get back under there to see who else is down there."
For more details about the ceremony, contact Rev. Raths on 297-2459 or Richard Lowry at the
