List of governors of the Bahamas

This is a list of Governors of the Bahamas. The first English settlement in the Bahamas was on Eleuthera. In 1670, the king granted the Bahamas to the Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina, but the islands were left to themselves. The local pirates proclaimed a 'Privateers' Republic' with Edward Teach (Blackbeard) as chief magistrate in 1703. In 1717, the Bahamas became a British crown colony, and the pirates were driven out.

During the American War of Independence, the Bahamas were briefly occupied by both American and Spanish forces. In 1964, the Bahamas achieved self-governance, and, in 1973, full independence.

List

#ImageGovernorFromTo
Governors of Eleuthera (1648–1657):
1William Sayle16481657
Proprietary Governors of the Bahama Islands (1670–1706):
2Hugh Wentworth1671December 1671
3John WentworthDecember 16711676
4Charles Chillingworth16761677
5Robert Clarke16771682
6Richard Lilburne16821684
British rule temporarily disrupted due to joint Spanish and French raid on Charlestown
7Thomas Bridges16861690
8Cadwallader Jones16901694
9Nicholas Trott16941697
10Nicholas Webb16971699
11Read Elding
(acting)
16991700
12Elias Haskett17001701
13Ellis Lightfoot17011703
14Edward Birch17041704
Privateer's Republic (1706–1718)
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1718–1776)
15Woodes Rogers26 July 17181721
16George Phenney17211728
17Woodes RogersAugust 172916 July 1732
-Richard Fitzwilliam
(acting)
17341738
18John Tinker17411758[1]
-John Gambier
(acting)
17581760
20William Shirley1760[2]1775
22Montfort Browne17753 March 1776
Commandant of the Bahama Islands (during American occupation, 1776)
-Samuel Nicholas3 March 177617 March 1776
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1776–1782)
-John Gambier
(acting)
17761778
23John Robert Maxwell17808 May 1782
Governors of Louisiana (during Spanish occupation)
1Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid,
Count of Gálvez
8 May 178219 April 1783
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1783–1969)
-Andrew de Vau (acting)17831783
23John Robert Maxwell17831784
24James Edward Powell
(Lieutenant-governor)
17841786
-John Brown
(acting)
17861787
25The 4th Earl of Dunmore17871796
-Robert Hunt
(acting)
179614 February 1797
26John Forbes
(Lieutenant-governor)
14 February 1797June 1797
27Lieutenant-General William Dowdeswell20 November 17971801
28John Halkett18011804
28Charles Cameron8 May 18041820
30Lewis Grant18211829
31Sir James Carmichael Smyth, 1st Baronet18291833
32Blayney Townley Balfour18331835
33William MacBean George Colebrooke18351837
34Sir Francis Cockburn18371844
35George Mathew18441849
36John Gregory18491854
37Sir Alexander Bannerman18541857
38Charles John Bayley18571864
39Rawson William Rawson18641869
40Sir James Walker18691871
41Sir George Cumine Strahan
KCMG
18711873
42Sir John Pope Hennessy
KCMG
18731874
43Sir William Robinson18741880
44Jeremiah Thomas Fitzgerald Callaghan
CMG
18801881
45Sir Charles Cameron Lees
KCMG
1882January 1884
46Sir Henry Arthur Blake
GCMG, DL
4 January 18841887
47Sir Ambrose Shea
KCMG
18871895
48Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith18951898
49Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter18981904
50Sir William Grey-Wilson29 November 19041912
51Sir George Basil Haddon-Smith29 October 19121914
52Sir William Lamond Allardyce
KCMG
15 June 19141920
53Sir Harry Edward Spiller Cordeaux
KCMG, CB
8 December 19201926
54Sir Charles William James Orr15 March 1927January 1932
55Sir Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford10 January 19321934
-Sir Charles Cecil Farquharson Dundas
(acting)
19341940
56The Duke of Windsor18 August 194016 March 1945
57Sir William Lindsay Murphy28 July 19451950
58Sir George Ritchie Sandford5 January 1950December 1950
59Sir Robert Arthur Ross Neville7 December 19501953
60The 6th Earl of Ranfurly21 December 19531956
61Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur1 April 19571960
62Sir Robert Stapledon18 July 19601964
63Sir Ralph Grey,
GCMG, GCVO, OBE, GCSt.J. P.C
3 June 19641968
64Sir Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce,
KCMG
1 November 19681969
Governors of the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands (1969–1973)
65Sir Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce (succeeded as The 8th Baron Thurlow in 1971),
KCMG
19691972
66Sir John Warburton Paul
GCMG, OBE, MC
14 May 197210 July 1973
On 10 July 1973 the Bahamas gained full independence from the United Kingdom and the viceroy became the Governor-General of the Bahamian Monarch.

See also

1. Biography of John Gregory [3]

References

  1. More Monumental Inscriptions: Tombstones of the British West Indies by Vere Langford Oliver: "His Excellency John Tinker died 10 July 1758 aged 58. 18 years Governor and Commander-in-Chief over these Islands"
  2. Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, Volume 27 by Isaac Kimber and Edward Kimber. "William Shirley is appointed Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the Bahama Islands in the room of John Tinker deceased - 6 November 1758"
  3. Wettenhall, R. L. "Gregory, John (1795–1853)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Natl Centre of Biography, Australian Natl University. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
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