Crown colony

Within the British Empire, a Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by the Government of the United Kingdom (the Crown). There was usually a Governor, appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Home (UK) Government, with or without the assistance of a local Council (in some cases split into two: an Executive Council and a Legislative Council), similar to the Privy Council that advises the Monarch. As the Members of the Councils were appointed by the Governors, there was consequently no local autonomy, and British citizens resident in Crown colonies had no representation in local government. This was in contrast to self-governing colonies, within which the Sovereign state (the UK Government) delegated legislature for most local internal matters of governance to elected assemblies, beginning with the House of Burgesses of the colony of Virginia in 1619 and the House of Assembly of the Parliament of Bermuda in 1620 (however, the term "Crown colony" has sometimes been mistakenly applied to colonies that do have elected local governments and partial autonomy). As the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom has never included seats for any of the colonies, there was, and is, consequently no representation at any level of Government for British citizens residing in Crown colonies.

All British colonies, whether Crown (such as the Falkland Islands) or self-governing (such as Bermuda), were renamed "British Dependent Territories" from 1 January, 1983, per a 1981 Act of Parliament. As many British citizens in the colonies (who, with the exceptions of the Falkland Islanders and subsequently the Gibraltarians, found their Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies changed at the same time to British Dependent Territories Citizenship, a form of British citizenship that stripped them of rights including the right to reside and work in the United Kingdom) were offended at being described as dependents of Britain as opposed to British, from 2002 the colonies have been known officially as British Overseas Territories (although the British Government had stated it would abolish British Dependent Territories Citizenship and return to a single citizenship for Britain and its colonies, British Dependent Territories Citizenship instead was re-named British Overseas Territories Citizenship and remained as the default citizenship for colonials, though British Citizenship could also be obtained, and the barriers to colonials residing and working in the UK were lifted).[1]

History

Early English colonies were usually established and administered by companies under charters granted by the monarch. The first "royal colony" was the Colony of Virginia, after 1624, when the Crown of the Kingdom of England revoked the royal charter it had granted to the Virginia Company and assumed control of the administration.[2]

Executive governors are sometimes complemented by a locally appointed and/or elected legislature with limited powers — that is, such territories lack responsible government. For example, while the House of Assembly of Bermuda has existed continuously since its first session in 1620, Bermuda has only had responsible government since 1968. (Bermuda became a Crown colony in 1684, when the government revoked a Royal Charter given to the Somers Isles Company, successor to the Virginia Company, which had previously controlled administration, including the appointment of governors. Afterwards the British government appointed the Governor of Bermuda.)

Despite its later usage, the term "Crown colony" was used primarily, until the mid-19th century, to refer to colonies that had been acquired through wars, such as Trinidad and Tobago.[3] After that time it was more broadly applied to every British territory other than British India,[4] and self-governing colonies, such as the Province of Canada, Newfoundland, British Columbia, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and New Zealand.[5]

By the mid-19th century, the monarch was appointing colonial governors only on the advice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies.[6]

The term Crown colony continued to be used until 1981, when the British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified the remaining British colonies as "British Dependent Territories". By this time, the term "Crown colony" referred specifically to colonies lacking substantial autonomy, which were administered by an executive governor, appointed by the British Government — such as Hong Kong, before its transfer in 1997 to the People's Republic of China.

Types

There were three types of Crown colony as of 1918, with differing degrees of autonomy:

Crown colonies with representative councils, such as Bermuda, Jamaica, Ceylon and Fiji, contained two legislative chambers, consisting of Crown-appointed and locally elected members.

Crown colonies with nominated councils, such as British Honduras, Sierra Leone, British Windward Islands and Hong Kong, were staffed entirely by Crown-appointed members, with some appointed representation from the local population. Hong Kong had a representative council following the introduction of election for the Hong Kong Legislative Council in 1995.

Crown colonies ruled directly by a governor, such as Basutoland,[7] Gibraltar, Saint Helena and Singapore, were fewest in number and had the least autonomy.

List

The following list includes territories that belonged by settlement, conquest or annexation to the British Crown or to an independent Commonwealth nation.a

Name of colony from to Reason for change of status
Aden 1937 1967 Became part of the Federation of South Arabia.
Ashanti 1901 1957 Became part of the dominion named Ghana upon its establishment in 1957.
Bahamas 1718 1973 Became an independent Commonwealth realm.
Basutoland 1884 1964 Became British protectorate in 1964; then became independent as Lesotho in 1966.
 Bermuda 1684 1981 Became British Dependent Territory in 1981.
British Bechuanaland 1885 1895 Became part of British Cape Colony in 1895.
British Columbia 1866 1871 Became part of Canada in 1871.
British Guiana 1831 1966 Became independent as Guyana in 1966.
British Honduras (renamed Belize in 1973) 1884 1981 Became independent (as Belize) in 1981.
Burma 1937 1948 Separated from British India in 1937 and became a Crown colony. Became independent in 1948 as Burma (later Myanmar).
United Province of Canada 1841 1867 Became part of Canada in 1867.
Cape Colony 1806 1910 Became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
 Cayman Islands 1962 1981 Became British Dependent Territory in 1981.
Ceylon 1815 1948 Became independent in 1948 as Dominion of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka).
Cyprus 1914 1960 Became independent as Cyprus in 1960.
East Florida 1763 1783 Ceded to Spain. Later became part of the United States.
 Falkland Islands 1841 1981 Became a British Dependent Territory in 1981.
Gambia Colony and Protectorate 1888 1965 Became independent as The Gambia in 1965.
Georgia 1755 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
 Gibraltar 1713 1981 Became British Dependent Territory in 1981.
Gilbert and Ellice Islands 1916 1976 Became Gilbert Islands colony and Tuvalu colony before independence
Gold Coast 1821 1957 Became independent in 1957 as Ghana.
Hong Kong 1842 1981 Reclassified as a British Dependent Territory in 1981. Transfered to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
Jamaica 1655 1962 Became independent in 1962 as Jamaica.
Kenya 1920 1963 United with the Kenya Protectorate in 1963 to form the independent country of Kenya.
Labuan 1846 1890 Administered by British North Borneo Company from 1890–1904.
1906 1946 Incorporated in the Straits Settlements on 30 October 1906.
1946 1963 Incorporated in North Borneo on 15 July 1946. Became part of Malaysia in 1963.[8]
Lower Canada 1791 1841 Became part of Province of Canada in 1841.
Malacca 1946 1957 Became part of Malaya in 1957.
Malta 1813 1964 Became independent in 1964 as the State of Malta.
Massachusetts Bay 1692 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776 as the state of Massachusetts.
Mauritius 1903 1968 Became independent as Mauritius in 1968.
Natal 1843 1910 Became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Newfoundland 1825 1907 Became the Dominion of Newfoundland in 1907, and later joined Canada in 1949.
New Hampshire 1692 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
New Ireland 1779 1783 Ceded to the United States of America after Revolutionary War and again after War of 1812 (1814-1815).
New Jersey 1702 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
New South Wales 1788 1901 Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
New York 1691 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
New Zealand 1841 1907 Became the Dominion of New Zealand in 1907.
Nigeria 1914 1960 Became independent as Nigeria in 1960.
Norfolk Island 1788 1914 Placed under administration of Australia in 1914 as a non-self governing territory. The island was self-governing between 1979 and 2015.
North Borneo 1946 1963 Became part of Malaysia in 1963 as Sabah. Labuan separated from Sabah in 1984 to become a Federal Territory.[8]
North Carolina 1729 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Nova Scotia 1710 1867 Became part of Canada in 1867.
Penang 1946 1957 Became part of Malaya in 1957.
Quebec 1763 1791 Divided between Upper and Lower Canada and the Northwest Territory.
Queensland 1859 1901 Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla 1882 1981 Became British Dependent Territory in 1981. Independent in 1983.
Sarawak 1946 1963 Became part of Malaysia in 1963.[8]
Seychelles 1903 1976 Separated from British Mauritius in 1903 and became a Crown Colony and became independent in 1976.
Sierra Leone 1808 1961 Became independent as Sierra Leone in 1961.
South Australia 1834 1901 Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
South Carolina 1729 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Southern Rhodesia 1923 1965/1980 Declared independence in 1965 as Rhodesia, which became Zimbabwe Rhodesia, independence recognized by Britain in 1980 as Zimbabwe.
Singapore 1946 1963 Singapore became part of Malaysia in 1963;[8] then became independent as the Republic of Singapore in 1965.[9]
1946 1946 Labuan was incorporated into North Borneo on 15 July 1946, which became part of Malaysia in 1963.[8]
1946 1955 Cocos (Keeling) Islands was transferred to Australia in 1955.[10]
1946 1957 Christmas Island was transferred to Australia in 1957.[11]
Straits Settlements 1786 1946 Penang became a separate Crown colony within the Malayan Union in 1946, which was re-organised as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and became independent in 1957;[12] later became part of Malaysia in 1963.[8]
1826 1946 Singapore became a separate Crown colony in 1946, after the Straits Settlements was dissolved.[13]
1826 1946 Malacca became a separate Crown colony within the Malayan Union in 1946, which re-organised as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and became independent in 1957;[12] later became part of Malaysia in 1963.[8]
1857 1946 Cocos (Keeling) Islands became part of the Colony of Singapore in 1946.[13]
1874 1937 Dinding (now Manjung) became part of the Federated Malay States in 1937, which later became part of the Malayan Union in 1946; the Malayan Union became the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and became independent in 1957;[12] later became part of Malaysia in 1963.[8]
1888 1946 Christmas Island became part of the Colony of Singapore in 1946.[13]
1906 1946 Labuan became part of the Colony of Singapore in 1946.[13]
Tasmania 1803 1901 Van Diemen's Land from 1803 to 1856; Formerly part of New South Wales from 1803 to 1825, when made an independent colony. Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
Upper Canada 1791 1841 Became part of Province of Canada in 1841.
Vancouver Island 1848 1866 Merged with the Colony of British Columbia in 1866 which joined Canada.
Victoria 1851 1901 Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
Virginia 1624 1776 Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Western Australia 1829 1901 Swan River Colony from 1829 to 1832. Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
West Florida 1763 1783 Ceded to Spain. Later became part of the United States.

^a Source: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Great Britain Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Chronological table of the statutes. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London part of the Office of Public Sector Information.

See also

Notes

References

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