List of governors of the Bahamas

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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[]

# Image Governor From To
Governors of Eleuthera (1648–1657):
1 William Sayle 1648 1657
Proprietary Governors of the Bahama Islands (1670–1706):
2 1671 December 1671
3 December 1671 1676
4 1676 1677
5 1677 1682
6 1682 1684
British rule temporarily disrupted due to joint Spanish and French raid on Charlestown
7 1686 1690
8 1690 1694
9 1694 1697
10 1697 1699
11 Read Elding
(acting)
1699 1700
12 1700 1701
13 1701 1703
14 1704 1704
Privateer's Republic (1706–1718)
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1718–1776)
15 וודס רוג'רס.jpg Woodes Rogers 26 July 1718 1721
16 George Phenney 1721 1728
17 וודס רוג'רס.jpg Woodes Rogers August 1729 16 July 1732
-
(acting)
1734 1738
18 John Tinker 1741 1758[1]
-
(acting)
1758 1760
20 WilliamShirleyNPG.jpg William Shirley 1760[2] 1775
22 Montfort Browne 1775 3 March 1776
Commandant of the Bahama Islands (during American occupation, 1776)
- Portrait of First Leader of Marines, Maj. Samuel Nicholas.jpg Samuel Nicholas 3 March 1776 17 March 1776
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1776–1782)
- John Gambier
(acting)
1776 1778
23 1780 8 May 1782
Governors of Louisiana (during Spanish occupation)
1 Bernardo de Galvez.jpg Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid,
Count of Gálvez
8 May 1782 19 April 1783
Royal Governors of the Bahama Islands (1783–1969)
- (acting) 1783 1783
23 John Robert Maxwell 1783 1784
24
(Lieutenant-governor)
1784 1786
-
(acting)
1786 1787
25 Sir Joshua Reynolds - John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore - (cropped).jpg The 4th Earl of Dunmore 1787 1796
-
(acting)
1796 14 February 1797
26
(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.jpg Sir James Carmichael Smyth, 1st Baronet 1829 1833
32 1833 1835
33 William MacBean George Colebrooke 1835 1837
34 Sir Francis Cockburn 1837 1844
35 George Mathew 1844 1849
36 1849 1854
37 Sir Alexander Bannerman.jpg Sir Alexander Bannerman 1854 1857
38 1857 1864
39 Rawson William Rawson 1864 1869
40 Sir James Walker 1869 1871
41 George Strahan portrait.jpg Sir George Cumine Strahan
KCMG
1871 1873
42 Sir John Hennessy.gif Sir John Pope Hennessy
KCMG
1873 1874
43 Sir William Robinson.jpg Sir William Robinson 1874 1880
44 Jeremiah Thomas Fitzgerald Callaghan
CMG
1880 1881
45 Sir Charles Cameron Lees
KCMG
1882 January 1884
46 Henry Arthur Blake.jpg Sir Henry Arthur Blake
GCMG, DL
4 January 1884 1887
47 Ambrose Shea.jpg Sir Ambrose Shea
KCMG
1887 1895
48 Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith 1895 1898
49 Sir Gilbert Thomas Gilbert-Carter by Alexander Bassano 1893 NPG x6206 detail.jpg 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 William Lamond Allardyce.jpg 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 Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford.jpg Sir Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford 10 January 1932 1934
- Sir Charles Cecil Farquharson Dundas
(acting)
1934 1940
56 The Duke of Windsor (1945).jpg The Duke of Windsor 18 August 1940 16 March 1945
57 Sir William Lindsay Murphy 28 July 1945 1950
58 Sir 5 January 1950 December 1950
59 Sir 7 December 1950 1953
60 The Earl of Ranfurly 21 December 1953 1956
61 Sir Raynor Arthur.jpg Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur 1 April 1957 1960
62 Sir 18 July 1960 1964
63 Sir Ralph Grey,
GCMG, GCVO, OBE, GCSt.J. P.C
3 June 1964 1968
64 Sir Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce,
KCMG
1 November 1968 1969
Governors of the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands (1969–1973)
65 Sir Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce (The Lord Thurlow from 1971),
KCMG
1969 1972
66 Sir John Warburton Paul
GCMG, OBE, MC
14 May 1972 10 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.

External links[]

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