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

     Acting Governor
# Portrait Name Birth Death Governor From Governor Until Sovereign
Military Governors (1795–1798)
1 Patrick Alexander Agnew
(in Trincomalee)		17651813August 17951 March 1796George III
2 James Stuart174118151 March 17961 January 1797George III
3 Welbore Ellis Doyle175817971 January 17972 July 1797George III
4 Peter Bonnevauxc.175217972 July 179712 July 1797George III
5 Pierre Frédéric de Meuron1788181312 July 179712 October 1798George III
Resident and Superintendent (1796-1798)
1 Robert Andrews--12 February 179612 October 1798George III
Governors (1798–1948)
1 Frederick North7 February 176614 October 182712 October 179819 July 1805George III
2 Thomas Maitland1759182419 July 180519 March 1811George III
John Wilson1780185619 March 181111 March 1812George III
3 Robert Brownrigg175927 April 183311 March 18121 February 1820George III
Edward Barnes177619 March 18381 February 18202 February 1822George III
George IV
4 Edward Paget3 November 177513 May 18492 February 18226 November 1822George IV
James Campbell--6 November 182218 January 1824George IV
5 Edward Barnes177619 March 183818 January 182413 October 1831George IV
William IV
John Wilson1780185613 October 183123 October 1831William IV
6 Robert Wilmot-Horton21 December 178431 May 184123 October 18317 November 1837William IV
Queen Victoria
7 James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie23 September 178424 September 18437 November 183715 April 1841Queen Victoria
8 Colin Campbell177613 June 184715 April 184119 April 1847Queen Victoria
James Emerson Tennent7 April 18046 March 186919 April 184729 May 1847Queen Victoria
9 The Viscount Torrington9 September 181227 April 188429 May 184718 October 1850Queen Victoria
Charles Justin MacCarthy1820186418 October 185027 November 1850Queen Victoria
10 George William Anderson179112 March 185727 November 185018 January 1855Queen Victoria
Charles Justin MacCarthy1820186418 January 185511 May 1855Queen Victoria
11 Henry George Ward1797186011 May 185530 June 1860Queen Victoria
Henry Frederick Lockyer1797186030 June 186030 July 1860Queen Victoria
Charles Edmund Wilkinson1807187030 July 186022 October 1860Queen Victoria
12 Charles Justin MacCarthy1820186422 October 18601 December 1863Queen Victoria
Terence O'Brien--1 December 186321 March 1865Queen Victoria
Hercules Robinson19 December 182428 October 189721 March 186516 May 1865Queen Victoria
13 Hercules Robinson19 December 182428 October 189716 May 18654 January 1872Queen Victoria
Henry Turner Irving183319234 January 18724 March 1872Queen Victoria
14 William Henry Gregory12 July 18176 March 18924 March 18724 September 1877Queen Victoria
15 James Robert Longden18279 October 18914 September 187710 July 1883Queen Victoria
John Douglas183523 August 188510 July 18833 December 1883Queen Victoria
16 Arthur Hamilton-Gordon26 November 182930 January 19123 December 188328 May 1890Queen Victoria
17 Arthur Elibank Havelock21 February 184425 June 190828 May 189024 October 1895Queen Victoria
Edward Noël Walker1842190824 October 189510 February 1896Queen Victoria
18 Joseph West Ridgeway16 May 184416 April 193010 February 189619 November 1903Queen Victoria
Edward VII
Sir Everard im Thurn18529 October 193219 November 19033 December 1903Edward VII
19 Henry Arthur Blake8 January 184013 February 19183 December 190311 July 1907Edward VII
Hugh Clifford5 March 186618 December 194111 July 190724 August 1907Edward VII
20 Henry Edward McCallum28 October 185224 November 191924 August 190724 January 1913Edward VII
George V
Reginald Edward Stubbs13 October 18767 December 194724 January 191318 October 1913George V
21 Robert Chalmers18 August 185817 November 193818 October 19134 December 1915George V
Reginald Edward Stubbs13 October 18767 December 19474 December 191515 April 1916George V
22 John Anderson23 June 185824 March 191815 April 191624 March 1918George V
Reginald Edward Stubbs13 October 18767 December 194724 March 191810 September 1918George V
23 William Henry Manning19 July 18631 January 193210 September 19181 April 1925George V
Cecil Clementi1 September 18755 April 19471 April 192518 October 1925George V
Edward Bruce Alexander1872195518 October 192530 November 1925George V
24 Hugh Clifford5 March 186618 December 194130 November 1925June 1927George V
Arthur George Murchison Fletcher18781954June 192720 August 1928George V
25 Herbert Stanley25 July 18725 June 195520 August 192811 February 1931George V
Bernard Henry Bourdillon3 December 18836 February 194811 February 193111 April 1931George V
26 Graeme Thomson1875193311 April 193120 September 1933George V
Graeme Tyrrell1876196420 September 193323 December 1933George V
27 Reginald Edward Stubbs13 October 18767 December 194723 December 193330 June 1937George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Maxwell MacLagan Wedderburn1883195330 June 193716 October 1937George VI
28 Andrew Caldecott26 October 188414 July 195116 October 193719 September 1944George VI
29 Henry Monck-Mason Moore1887196419 September 19444 February 1948George VI

See also

References

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