List of Governors of Scilly

The following persons served as Governor of the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall. An early governor of Scilly was Thomas Godolphin, whose son Francis received a lease on the Isles in 1568. They were styled Governors of Scilly and the Godolphins and their Osborne relatives held this position until 1834. In 1834 Augustus John Smith acquired the lease from the Duchy for £20,000.[1] Smith created the title Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly for himself, and many of his actions were unpopular. The lease remained in his family until it expired for most of the Isles in 1920 when ownership reverted to the Duchy of Cornwall. Today, the Dorrien-Smith estate still holds the lease for the island of Tresco.

• 1568–1608 Sir Francis Godolphin (1540–1608)
• 1608–1613 Sir William Godolphin of Godolphin (1567–1613)
• 1613–1636 William Godolphin (1611–1636)
• 1636–1643 Sidney Godolphin (1610–1643)
• 1643–1646 Sir Francis Godolphin of Godolphin (1605–1647)
• 1647–1648 Anthony Buller (Parliamentarian)
• 1649–1651 Sir John Grenville (Royalist)
• 1651–1660 Joseph Hunkin[2] (Parliamentary control)
• 1660–1667 Sir Francis Godolphin of Godolphin (1605–1667) (restored to office)
• 1667–1700 Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1645–1712)
• 1700–1732 Sidney Goldolphin (1652–1732)
• 1733–1766 Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin (1678–1766)
• 1766–1785 Francis Godolphin, 2nd Baron Godolphin (1706–1785)
• 1785–1799 Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds (1751–1799)
• 1799–1831 George Osborne, 6th Duke of Leeds (1775–1838)
• 1834–1872 Augustus John Smith (1804–1872)
• 1872–1918 Thomas Algernon Smith-Dorrien-Smith (1846–1918)
• 1918–1920 Arthur Algernon Dorrien-Smith (1876–1955)