Governors of British Ceylon

The Governor of Ceylon was the representative in Ceylon of the British Crown from 1795 to 1948. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in Ceylon. The governor was the head of the British colonial administration in Ceylon, reporting to the Colonial Office.

Governor of Ceylon
Flag of Governor of Ceylon
StyleHis/Her Excellency
ResidenceGovernment House
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
PrecursorGovernor of Zeylan
FormationAug 1795
First holderPatrick Alexander Agnew
as Military Governor
Final holderHenry Monck-Mason Moore
Abolished4 February 1948
SuccessionGovernor-General of Ceylon

With Ceylon gaining self-rule and dominion status with the creation of Dominion of Ceylon in 1948, this office was replaced by the Governor-General, who represented the British monarch as the head of state. The office of Governor-General was itself abolished in 1972 and replaced by the post of President when Sri Lanka became a republic.

Appointment

The Governor, appointed by the British monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for the Colonies), maintained executive power in Ceylon throughout British rule.

Powers and Functions

The Governor was the head of the executive administration in the island. Initially limited to the coastal regions, the authority of the governor was extend to the provinces of the Kingdom of Kandy following the Kandyan Convention in 1815. The Governor had absolute power in the island deriving it from the traditional powers of the Dutch governors and the King of Kandy and reporting to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. It was in the Colebrooke Reforms which first defined the role of the Governor as "the representative of the Sovereign the Monarch who rules over the Parliament of the United Kingdom". These reforms introduced the first legislator which was expanded over the next century in the reforms that took place. Upon independence in 1948, the office of the Governor was abolished and replaced with that of the Governor-General as the representative of the Sovereign.[1]

The Governor was the Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in Ceylon, except only during World War II, when Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon with power exceeding that of the Governor.

Ceremonial

In November each year, the Governor would receive the annual tribute from the Sultan of Maldives. The Governor was the ex-officio Chancellor of the University of Ceylon and patron of the Royal College Colombo.

Council
Main articles: Executive Council of Ceylon and Legislative Council of Ceylon

Following the Colebrooke Reforms the Executive Council of Ceylon and the Legislative Council of Ceylon was established with the Governor chairing both these councils. In 1931, the Legislative Council was replaced by the State Council of Ceylon with limited self-government.

Style and title

The title of the position was "Governor of Ceylon" and was styled Excellency and enjoyed precedence over all other government officials in Ceylon. He was referred to as 'His Excellency' and addressed as 'Your Excellency'. This practice as constituted to the office of President.

Privileges

Residence

The Governor's main residence and office was the King's House in Colombo and secondary residence was the King's Pavilion in Kandy. The vacationing residence of the Governor, Queen's Cottage was located in the hill station of Nuwara Eliya.

Guard

The Governor's Bodyguard was a mounted guard that functioned as a ceremonial guard for the Governor when attending state functions. An ceremonial native regiment of Lascoreens was maintained by the office of the Governor to provide a ceremonial guard on special occasions such as the Maldivian Tribute or Royal visits.

Staff

The office of the Governor, was housed in at King's House and had a permanent staff. It consisted of the Secretary to the Governor, a Private Secretary, an Aide-de-Camp, the Maha Mudaliyar, an Office Assistant and support staff.

List of Governors
  Acting Governor
# Portrait Name Birth Death Governor From Governor Until Sovereign
Military Governors (1795–1798)
1 Patrick Alexander Agnew
(in Trincomalee)		 1765 1813 August 1795 1 March 1796 George III
2 James Stuart 1741 1815 1 March 1796 1 January 1797 George III
3 Welbore Ellis Doyle 1758 1797 1 January 1797 2 July 1797 George III
4 Peter Bonnevaux c.1752 1797 2 July 1797 12 July 1797 George III
5 Pierre Frédéric de Meuron 1788 1813 12 July 1797 12 October 1798 George III
Resident and Superintendent (1796–1798)
1 Robert Andrews 1763 13 November 1821 12 February 1796 12 October 1798 George III
Governors (1798–1948)
1 Frederick North 7 February 1766 14 October 1827 12 October 1798 19 July 1805 George III
2 Thomas Maitland 10 March 1760 17 January 1824 19 July 1805 19 March 1811 George III
John Wilson 1780 1856 19 March 1811 11 March 1812 George III
3 Robert Brownrigg 1759 27 April 1833 11 March 1812 1 February 1820 George III
Edward Barnes 1776 19 March 1838 1 February 1820 2 February 1822 George III
George IV
4 Edward Paget 3 November 1775 13 May 1849 2 February 1822 6 November 1822 George IV
James Campbell - - 6 November 1822 18 January 1824 George IV
5 Edward Barnes 1776 19 March 1838 18 January 1824 13 October 1831 George IV
William IV
John Wilson 1780 1856 13 October 1831 23 October 1831 William IV
6 Robert Wilmot-Horton 21 December 1784 31 May 1841 23 October 1831 7 November 1837 William IV
Queen Victoria
7 James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie 23 September 1784 24 September 1843 7 November 1837 15 April 1841 Queen Victoria
8 Colin Campbell 1776 13 June 1847 15 April 1841 19 April 1847 Queen Victoria
James Emerson Tennent 7 April 1804 6 March 1869 19 April 1847 29 May 1847 Queen Victoria
9 The Viscount Torrington 9 September 1812 27 April 1884 29 May 1847 18 October 1850 Queen Victoria
Charles Justin MacCarthy 1811 1864 18 October 1850 27 November 1850 Queen Victoria
10 George William Anderson 1791 12 March 1857 27 November 1850 18 January 1855 Queen Victoria
Charles Justin MacCarthy 1811 1864 18 January 1855 11 May 1855 Queen Victoria
11 Henry George Ward 27 February 1797 2 August 1860 11 May 1855 30 June 1860 Queen Victoria
Henry Frederick Lockyer 1797 30 August 1860 30 June 1860 30 July 1860 Queen Victoria
Charles Edmund Wilkinson 1807 1870 30 July 1860 22 October 186 Queen Victoria
12 Charles Justin MacCarthy 1811 1864 22 October 1860 1 December 1863 Queen Victoria
Terence O'Brien 23 April 1830 28 February 1903 1 December 1863 21 March 1865 Queen Victoria
Hercules Robinson 19 December 1824 28 October 1897 21 March 1865 16 May 1865 Queen Victoria
13 Hercules Robinson 19 December 1824 28 October 1897 16 May 1865 4 January 1872 Queen Victoria
Henry Turner Irving 1833 1923 4 January 1872 4 March 1872 Queen Victoria
14 William Henry Gregory 12 July 1817 6 March 1892 4 March 1872 4 September 1877 Queen Victoria
15 James Robert Longden 7 July 1827 9 October 1891 4 September 1877 10 July 1883 Queen Victoria
John Douglas 5 December 1835 23 August 1885 10 July 1883 3 December 1883 Queen Victoria
16 Arthur Hamilton-Gordon 26 November 1829 30 January 1912 3 December 1883 28 May 1890 Queen Victoria
17 Arthur Elibank Havelock 21 February 1844 25 June 1908 28 May 1890 24 October 1895 Queen Victoria
Edward Noël Walker 1842 1908 24 October 1895 10 February 1896 Queen Victoria
18 Joseph West Ridgeway 16 May 1844 16 April 1930 10 February 1896 19 November 1903 Queen Victoria
Edward VII
Sir Everard im Thurn 9 May 1852 9 October 1932 19 November 1903 3 December 1903 Edward VII
19 Henry Arthur Blake 8 January 1840 13 February 1918 3 December 1903 11 July 1907 Edward VII
Hugh Clifford 5 March 1866 18 December 1941 11 July 1907 24 August 1907 Edward VII
20 Henry Edward McCallum 28 October 1852 24 November 1919 24 August 1907 24 January 1913 Edward VII
George V
Reginald Edward Stubbs 13 October 1876 7 December 1947 24 January 1913 18 October 1913 George V
21 Robert Chalmers 18 August 1858 17 November 1938 4 December 1915 George V
Reginald Edward Stubbs 13 October 1876 7 December 1947 4 December 1915 15 April 1916 George V
22 John Anderson 23 June 1858 24 March 1918 15 April 1916 24 March 1918 George V
Reginald Edward Stubbs 13 October 1876 7 December 1947 24 March 1918 10 September 1918 George V
23 William Henry Manning 19 July 1863 1 January 1932 10 September 1918 1 April 1925 George V
Cecil Clementi 1 September 1875 5 April 1947 1 April 1925 18 October 1925 George V
Edward Bruce Alexander 3 March 1872 21 March 1955 18 October 1925 30 November 1925 George V
24 Hugh Clifford 5 March 1866 18 December 1941 30 November 1925 June 1927 George V
Arthur George Murchison Fletcher 27 September 1878 9 April 1954 June 1927 20 August 1928 George V
25 Herbert Stanley 25 July 1872 5 June 1955 20 August 1928 11 February 1931 George V
Bernard Henry Bourdillon 3 December 1883 6 February 1948 11 February 1931 11 April 1931 George V
26 Graeme Thomson 9 August 1875 28 September 1933 11 April 1931 20 September 1933 George V
Graeme Tyrrell 1876 1964 20 September 1933 23 December 1933 George V
27 Reginald Edward Stubbs 13 October 1876 7 December 1947 23 December 1933 30 June 1937 George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Maxwell MacLagan Wedderburn 25 March 1883 30 June 1953 30 June 1937 16 October 1937 George VI
28 Andrew Caldecott 26 October 1884 14 July 1951 16 October 1937 19 September 1944 George VI
29 Henry Monck-Mason Moore 18 March 1887 26 March 1964 19 September 1944 4 February 1948 George VI

See also

References
Specific
  1. Evolution of Constitutional Governance in Sri Lanka.
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