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.

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List

# Image Governor From To
Governors of Eleuthera (1648–1657):
1 William Sayle 1648 1657
Proprietary Governors of the Bahama Islands (1670–1706):
2 Hugh Wentworth 1671 December 1671
3 John Wentworth December 1671 1676
4 Charles Chillingworth 1676 1677
5 Roger Clarke 1680 1682
6 Richard Lilburne 1684 1684
British rule temporarily disrupted due to joint Spanish and French raid on Charlestown
7 Thomas Bridges 1686 1690
8 Cadwallader Jones 1690 1693
9 Nicholas Trott 1694 1696
10 Nicholas Webb 1697 1699
11 Read Elding
(acting) 		1699 1700
12 Elias Haskett 1700 1701
13 Ellis Lightfoot 1701 1703
14 Edward Birch 1704 1704
Privateer's Republic (1706–1718)
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1706–1776)
15 Woodes Rogers 26 July 1718 1721
16 George Phenney 1721 1728
17 Woodes Rogers August 1729 16 July 1732
- Richard Fitzwilliam
(acting) 		1734 1738
18 John Tinker 1741 1758[1]
- John Gambier
(acting)		17581760
20 William Shirley 1760[2] 1775
22 Montfort Browne 1775 3 March 1776
Commandant of the Bahama Islands (during American occupation, 1776)
- Samuel Nicholas 3 March 1776 17 March 1776
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1776–1782)
- John Gambier
(acting)		17761778
23 John Robert Maxwell 1780 8 May 1782
Governors of Louisiana (during Spanish occupation)
1 Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid,
Count of Gálvez		 8 May 1782 19 April 1783
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1783–1969)
- Andrew de Vau (acting) 1783 1783
23 John Robert Maxwell 1783 1784
24 James Edward Powell
(Lieutenant-governor)		 1784 1786
- John Brown
(acting) 		1786 1787
25 John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore 1787 1796
- Robert Hunt
(acting) 		1796 14 February 1797
26 John Forbes
(Lieutenant-governor)		 14 February 1797 June 1797
27 Lieutenant-General William Dowdeswell 20 November 1797 1801
28 John Halkett 1801 1804
28 Charles Cameron 8 May 1804 1820
30 Lewis Grant 1821 1829
31 Sir James Carmichael Smyth, 1st Baronet 1829 1833
32 Blayney Townley Balfour 1833 1835
33 William MacBean George Colebrooke 1835 1837
34 Sir Francis Cockburn 1837 1844
35 George Benvenuto Matthew 1844 1849
36 John Gregory 1849 1854
37 Sir Alexander Bannerman 1854 1857
38 Charles John Bayley 1857 1864
39 Rawson William Rawson 1864 1869
40 Sir James Walker1869 1871
41 George Cumine Strahan
KCMG		1871 1873
42 Sir John Pope Hennessy
KCMG 		1873 1874
43 Sir William Robinson 1874 1880
44 Jeremiah Thomas Fitzgerald Callaghan
CMG 		1880 1881
45 Sir Charles Cameron Lees
KCMG 		1882 January 1884
46 Sir Henry Arthur Blake
GCMG, DL 		4 January 1884 1887
47 Sir Ambrose Shea
KCMG		 1887 1895
48 Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith 1895 1898
49 Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter 1898 1904
50 Sir William Grey-Wilson 29 November 1904 1912
51 Sir George Basil Haddon-Smith 29 October 1912 1914
52 Sir William Lamond Allardyce
KCMG 		15 June 1914 1920
53 Sir Harry Edward Spiller Cordeaux
KCMG, CB 		8 December 1920 1926
54 Sir Charles William James Orr 15 March 1927 January 1932
55 Sir Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford 10 January 1932 1934
- Sir Charles Cecil Farquharson Dundas
(acting) 		1934 1940
56 HRH The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor 18 August 1940 16 March 1945
57 Sir William Lindsay Murphy 28 July 1945 1950
58 Sir George Ritchie Sandford 5 January 1950 December 1950
59 Sir Robert Arthur Ross Neville 7 December 1950 1953
60 Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly 21 December 1953 1956
61 Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur 1 April 1957 1960
62 Sir Robert Stapeldon 18 July 1960 1964
63 Ralph Grey, Baron Grey of Naunton
GCMG, GCVO, OBE, GCSt.J. P.C		 3 June 1964 1968
64 Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 8th Baron Thurlow
KCMG 		1 November 1968 1969
Governors of the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands (1969–1973)
65 Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 8th Baron Thurlow
KCMG		 1969 1972
66 Sir John Warburton Paul
GCMG, OBE, MC		 14 May 1972 10 July 1973
On July 10, 1973 the Bahamas gained full independence from the United Kingdom and the viceroy became the Governor-General of the Bahamian Monarch.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colonial heads of the Bahamas.

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"
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