Governors of British Ceylon
Governor of Ceylon | |
---|---|
Flag of Governor of Ceylon | |
Style | His/Her Excellency |
Residence | Government House |
Appointer | Monarch of the United Kingdom |
Precursor | Governor of Zeylan |
Formation | Aug 1795 |
First holder |
Patrick Alexander Agnew as Military Governor |
Final holder | Henry Monck-Mason Moore |
Abolished | 4 February 1948 |
Succession | Governor-General of Ceylon |
The Governor of Ceylon was an official who ruled British Ceylon during the British colonial period between 1798 and 1948.
Upon the end of British rule and the creation of Dominion of Ceylon in 1948, this office was replaced by the Governor-General, who represented the British Monarch and not the Government of the United Kingdom as did the Governor. The office of Governor-General was itself abolished in 1972 and replaced by the post of President when Sri Lanka became a Republic.
The Governor
The Governor, appointed by the British monarch (on the advice of the prime minister), maintained executive power in Ceylon throughout British rule. He was head of the executive council and the pre-independence government of Ceylon.
The Governor was the most powerful official 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. The Governor was the ex-officio Chancellor of the University of Ceylon.
List of Governors
# | 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 | - | - | 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 | 1759 | 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 | 1820 | 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 | 1820 | 1864 | 18 January 1855 | 11 May 1855 | Queen Victoria | ||
11 | Henry George Ward | 1797 | 1860 | 11 May 1855 | 30 June 1860 | Queen Victoria | |
Henry Frederick Lockyer | 1797 | 1860 | 30 June 1860 | 30 July 1860 | Queen Victoria | ||
Charles Edmund Wilkinson | 1807 | 1870 | 30 July 1860 | 22 October 1860 | Queen Victoria | ||
12 | Charles Justin MacCarthy | 1820 | 1864 | 22 October 1860 | 1 December 1863 | Queen Victoria | |
Terence O'Brien | - | - | 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 | 1827 | 9 October 1891 | 4 September 1877 | 10 July 1883 | Queen Victoria | |
John Douglas | 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 | 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 | 18 October 1913 | 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 | 1872 | 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 | 1878 | 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 | 1875 | 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 | 1883 | 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 | 1887 | 1964 | 19 September 1944 | 4 February 1948 | George VI |