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):
William Sayle16481657
Proprietary governors of the Bahama Islands (1670–1706):
Hugh Wentworth1671December 1671
John WentworthDecember 16711676
Charles Chillingworth16761677
Robert Clarke16771682
Richard Lilburne16821684
British rule temporarily disrupted due to joint Spanish and French raid on Charlestown
Thomas Bridges16861690
Cadwallader Jones16901694
Nicholas Trott16941697
Nicholas Webb16971699
Read Elding
(acting)		16991701
Elias Haskett17011701
Ellis Lightfoot17011703
Edward Birch17041704
Privateer's Republic (1706–1718)
Royal governors of the Bahama Islands (1718–1776)
Woodes Rogers26 July 17181721
George Phenney17211728
Woodes RogersAugust 172916 July 1732
Richard Fitzwilliam
(acting)		17341738
John Tinker17411758[1]
John Gambier
(acting)		17581760
William Shirley1760[2]1775
Montfort 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
John Robert Maxwell17808 May 1782
Governors of Louisiana (during Spanish occupation)
Bernardo 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
John Robert Maxwell17831784
James Edward Powell
(Lieutenant-governor)		17841786
John Brown
(acting)		17861787
The 4th Earl of Dunmore17871796
Robert Hunt
(acting)		179614 February 1797
John Forbes
(Lieutenant-governor)		14 February 1797June 1797
Lieutenant-General William Dowdeswell20 November 17971801
John Halkett18011804
Charles Cameron8 May 18041820
Lewis Grant18211829
Sir James Carmichael Smyth, 1st Baronet18291833
Blayney Townley Balfour18331835
William MacBean George Colebrooke18351837
Sir Francis Cockburn18371844
George Mathew18441849
John Gregory18491854
Sir Alexander Bannerman18541857
Charles John Bayley18571864
Rawson William Rawson18641869
Sir James Walker18691871
Sir George Cumine Strahan
KCMG		18711873
Sir John Pope Hennessy
KCMG		18731874
Sir William Robinson18741880
Jeremiah Thomas Fitzgerald Callaghan
CMG		18801881
Sir Charles Cameron Lees
KCMG		1882January 1884
Sir Henry Arthur Blake
GCMG, DL		4 January 18841887
Sir Ambrose Shea
KCMG		18871895
Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith18951898
Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter18981904
Sir William Grey-Wilson29 November 19041912
Sir George Basil Haddon-Smith29 October 19121914
Sir William Lamond Allardyce
KCMG		15 June 19141920
Sir Harry Edward Spiller Cordeaux
KCMG, CB		8 December 19201926
Sir Charles William James Orr15 March 1927January 1932
Sir Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford10 January 19321937
Sir Charles Cecil Farquharson Dundas 1937 1940
The Duke of Windsor18 August 194016 March 1945
Sir William Lindsay Murphy28 July 19451950
Sir George Ritchie Sandford5 January 1950December 1950
Sir Robert Arthur Ross Neville7 December 19501953
The Earl of Ranfurly21 December 19531956
Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur1 April 19571960
Sir Robert Stapledon18 July 19601964
Sir Ralph Grey,
GCMG, GCVO, OBE, GCSt.J. P.C		3 June 19641968
Sir Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce,
KCMG		1 November 19681969
Governors of the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands (1969–1973)
Sir Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce (The Lord Thurlow from 1971),
KCMG		19691972
Sir 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.

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"

Sources

  • 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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