Governors of Jamaica
It took seven years after the conquest of Jamaica from the Spanish, before a Civil Government was formed and a Governor appointed. During this period, from 1655 to 1661, the affairs of Jamaica was the responsibility of Military Commissioners.
Jamaica's Governors Under British Rule
The Governing of Jamaica was left to Military Commissioners from 1655 to 1660. A part of the army was left for the security of the islandand those whochose to settle there. Martial law became the standard until the Restoration of King Charles II, who formerly appointed Edward Doyley, the last military commiissioner, to the role of Governor.
| Year | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1660–62** | General Edward Doyley | Governor |
| 1662 | Thomas, Lord Windsor* | Governor |
| 1662–64 | Sir Charles Lyttelton* | Dep. Governor |
| 1664 | Colonel Edward Morgan | Governor |
| 1664 | Colonel Thomas Lynch | President |
| 1664–71 | Sir Thomas Modyford, Bt | Governor |
| 1671–74 | Sir Thomas Lynch | Lt. Governor |
| 1674 | Sir Henry Morgan* | Lt. Governor |
| 1675–78 | John, Lord Vaughan* | Governor |
| 1678 | Sir Henry Morgan | Lt. Governor |
| 1678–80 | Charles, Earl of Carlisle* | Governor |
| 1680–82 | Sir Henry Morgan | Lt. Governor |
| 1682–84 | Sir Thomas Lynch | Governor |
| 1684–87 | Colonel Hender Molesworth | Lt. Governor |
| 1687–88 | Christopher, Duke of Albemarle* | Governor |
| 1688–90 | Sir Francis Watson | President |
| 1690–92 | William, Earl of Inchiquin* | Governor |
| 1691–92 | John White | President |
| 1692–93 | John Bourden | President |
| 1693–1700 | Sir William Beeston | Lt. Governor |
| 1700–02 | Sir William Beeston | Governor |
| 1702 | Maj-Gen William Selwyn | Governor |
| 1702 | Peter Beckford* | Lt. Governor |
| 1702–04 | Colonel Thomas Handasyd | Lt. Governor |
| 1704–11 | Sir Thomas Handasyd | Governor |
| 1711–16 | Lord Archibald Hamilton | Governor |
| 1716–18 | Peter Heywood | Governor |
| 1718–22 | Sir Nicholas Lawes | Governor |
| 1722–26 | Henry, Duke of Portland | Governor |
| 1726–28 | John Ayscough | President |
| 1728–34 | Maj-Gen Robert Hunter | Governor |
| 1734–35 | John Ayscough | President |
| 1735 | John Gregory | President |
| 1735–36 | Henry Cunningham | Governor |
| 1736–38 | John Gregory | President |
| 1738–52 | Edward Trelawny | Governor |
| 1752–56 | Admiral Charles Knowles* | Governor |
| 1756–59 | Henry Moore | Lt. Governor |
| 1759 | General George Haldane | Governor |
| 1760–62 | Henry Moore | Lt. Governor |
| 1762–66 | William Henry Lyttelton | Governor |
| 1766–67 | Roger Hope Elletson | Lt. Governor |
| 1767–72 | Sir William Trelawny | Governor |
| 1772–74 | Lt. Col John Dalling | Lt. Governor |
| 1774–77 | Sir Basil Keith | Governor |
| 1777–81 | Colonel John Dalling | Lt. Governor |
| 1781–83 | Maj-Gen Archibald Campbell* | Lt. Governor |
| 1783–84 | Maj-Gen Archibald Campbell* | Governor |
| 1784–90 | Brig-Gen Alured Clarke* | Lt. Governor |
| 1790–91 | Thomas, Earl of Effingham* | Governor |
| 1791–95 | Maj-Gen Adam Williamson | Lt. Governor |
| 1795–01 | Alexander, Earl of Balcarres* | Lt. Governor |
| 1801–06 | Lt. Gen George Nugent* | Lt. Governor |
| 1806–08 | Sir Eyre Coote* | Lt. Governor |
| 1808–11 | William, Duke of Manchester* | Governor |
| 1811–13 | Lt. Gen Edward Morrison | Lt. Governor |
| 1813–21 | William, Duke of Manchester | Governor |
| 1821–22 | Maj-Gen Henry Conran* | Lt. Governor |
| 1822–27 | William, Duke of Manchester | Governor |
| 1827–29 | Maj-Gen Sir John Keane* | Lt. Governor |
| 1829–32 | Somerset, Earl of Belmore* | Governor |
| 1832 | George Cuthbert | President |
| 1832–34 | Constantine, Earl of Mulgrave* | Governor |
| 1834 | George Cuthbert | President |
| 1834 | Maj-Gen Sir Amos Norcot | Lt. Governor |
| 1834–36 | Peter, Marquis of Sligo* | Governor |
| 1836–39 | Sir Lionel Smith | Governor |
| 1839–42 | Sir Charles Metcalfe* | Governor |
| 1842–46 | James, Earl of Elgin* | Governor |
| 1846–47 | Maj-Gen Sackville Berkeley | Lt. Governor |
| 1847–53 | Sir Charles Edward Grey | Governor |
| 1853–56 | Sir Henry Barkly* | Governor |
| 1856–57 | Maj-Gen E Wells Bell | Lt. Governor |
| 1857–62 | Captain Charles Darling* | Governor |
| 1862–64 | Edward John Eyre* | Lt. Governor |
| 1864–66 | Edward John Eyre* | Governor |
| 1866 | Sir Henry Storks* | Governor |
| 1866–74 | Sir John Peter Grant* | Governor |
| 1874 | W A Young | Administ |
| 1874–77 | Sir William Grey* | Governor |
| 1877 | Edward Rushworth | Lt. Governor |
| 1877 | Maj-Gen Mann | Administ |
| 1877–80 | Sir Anthony Musgrave* | Governor |
| 1879–80 | Edward Newton | Lt. Governor |
| 1880–83 | Sir Anthony Musgrave | Governor |
| 1883 | Col Somerset M Wiseman Clarke | Administ |
| 1883 | Maj-Gen Gamble | Administ |
| 1883–89 | Sir Henry Norman* | Governor |
| 1889 | Col William Clive Justice | Administ |
| 1889–98 | Sir Henry Arthur Blake | Governor |
| 1898 | Maj-Gen Hallowes | Administ |
| 1898–04 | Sir Augustus W L Hemming* | Governor |
| 1904 | Sydney Olivier | Administ |
| 1904 | Hugh Clarence Bourne | Governor |
| 1904–07 | Sir James Alexander Swettenham | Governor |
| 1907 | Hugh Clarence Bourne | Administ |
| 1907–13 | Sir Sydney Olivier | Governor |
| 1913 | Philip Clarke Cork | Administ |
| 1913–18 | Sir William Henry Manning | Governor |
| 1918-24 | Sir Leslie Probyn | Governor |
| 1924-25 | Sir Samuel Herbert Wilson | Governor |
| 1925-26 | Sir Arthur S. Jelf | Governor |
| 1926-32 | Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs | Governor |
| 1932-34 | Sir Alexander Ransford Slater | Governor |
| 1934-38 | Sir Edward Brandis Denham | Governor |
| 1938-43 | Sir Arthur Frederick Richards | Governor |
| 1943-51 | Sir John Huggins | Governor |
| 1951-57 | Sir Hugh Mackintosh Foot | Governor |
| 1957-62 | Sir Kenneth Blackburne | Governor |
Source of the list 1661-1913: Historic Jamaica, by Frank Cundall (see **)
· Frank Cundall ((1858-1937) was a prolific writer. He authored approximately 22 titles on Jamaica and its history. He arrived in Jamaica on February 6, 1891 to take up his appointment of Secretary and Librarian of the Institute of Jamaica.
· (**) Note: Cundall's list has Edward Doyle's appointment as 1661. This was modified to 1660 based on Edward Long's (1734-1813) account in his three volume History of Jamaica published in 1774.
· (*) Portraits exists in the Institute of Jamaica, History Gallery.
Jamaica's Governors Under Spanish Rule
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1510–1514 | Juan de Esquivel |
| 1514–1523 | Francisco de Garay |
| 1523–1526 | Pedro de Mazuelo |
| 1526–1527 | Juan de Mendegurren |
| 1527–1531 | Santino de Raza |
| 1597 | Francisco de Nabeda Alvarado |
| 1655-1658 | Cristóbal Arnaldo Isasi - Led final attempt to recapture in 1658 |
Incomplete list... work in progress