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List of Governors of Jamaica From List of Governors of Jamaica and Governor-General of Jamaica
This is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys in Jamaica after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica.
Contents
1 Spanish Governors of Santiago (1510–1660)
2 English Commanders of Jamaica (1655-1661)
3 English Governors of Jamaica (1661-1662)
4 Deputy Governors of Jamaica (1662-1671)
5 Lieutenant Governors of Jamaica (1671-1690)
6 Governors of Jamaica (1691-1962)
Spanish Governors of Santiago (1510–1660)
Jamaica was claimed for Spain in 1494 when Christopher Columbus first landed on the island. Spain began occupying the island in 1509, naming it Santiago. The second governor, Francisco de Garay, established Villa de la Vega, now known as Spanish Town, as his capital.
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- Juan de Esquivel, 1510–1514
- Francisco de Garay, 1514–1523
- Pedro de Mazuelo, 1523–1526
- Juan de Mendegurren, 1526–1527
- Santino de Raza, 1527–1531
- Gonzalo de Guzman, ?–1532
- Manuel de Rojas, 1532–?, first time
- Gil González Dávila, 1533?–1534?
- Manuel de Rojas, 1536–?, second time
- Pedro Cano, 1539?, first time
- Francisco de Pina, 1544?
- Juan González de Hinojosa, 1556?
- Pedro Cano, 1558?, second time
- Blas de Melo, 1565?
- Juan de Gaudiel, 1567?–1572?
- Hernán Manrique de Rojas, 1575?
- Iñigo Fuentes, ?–1577
- Rodrigo Núñez de la Peña, 1577–1578
- Lucas del Valle Alvarado, 1578–1583?, first time
- Diego Fernández de Mercado, 1586?
- Lucas del Valle Alvarado, 1591?, second time
- García del Valle, 1596?
- Fernando Melgarejo Córdoba, 1596–1606
- Alonso de Miranda, 1607–1611
- Pedro Espejo Barranco, 1611–1614
- Andrés González de Vera, 1614–?
- Sebastián Lorenzo Romano, 1620?
- Francisco Terril, 1625–1632
- Juan Martínez Arana, 1632–1637
- Gabriel Peñalver Angulo, 1637–1639
- Jacinto Sedeño Albornoz, 1639–1640, first time
- Francisco Ladrón de Zegama, 1640–1643
- Alcades, 1643–1645
- Sebastián Fernández de Gamboa, 1645–1646
- Pedro Caballero, 1646–1650
- Jacinto Sedeño Albornoz, 1650, second time
- Francisco de Proenza, 1650–1651, first time
- Juan Ramírez de Arellano, 1651–1655
- Francisco de Proenza, 1655–1656, second time
- Cristóbal Arnaldo Isasi, 1656–1660
English Commanders of Jamaica (1655-1661)
In 1655, an English force led by Admiral Sir William Penn, and General Robert Venables seized the island, and successfully held it against Spanish attempts to retake it over the next few years.
- Admiral Sir William Penn 11 May 1655–1655
- General Robert Venables, 1655
- Edward D'Oyley, 1655–1656, first time
- William Brayne, 1656–1657
- Edward D'Oyley, 1657–1661, second time
English Governors of Jamaica (1661-1662)
In 1661, England began colonisation of the island.
- Edward D'Oyley, 1661–August 1662, continued
- Thomas, Lord Windsor, August 1662–November 1662
Deputy Governors of Jamaica (1662-1671)
- Charles Lyttleton, 1662–1663, acting
- Thomas Lynch, 1663–1664, acting, first time
- Edward Morgan, 1664
- Sir Thomas Modyford, 1664–August 1671
Lieutenant Governors of Jamaica (1671-1690)
In 1670, the Treaty of Madrid legitimised English claim to the island.
- Sir Thomas Lynch, August 1671–November 1674, second time
- Sir Henry Morgan, 1674–1675, acting, first time
- John Vaughan, 1675–1678
- Sir Henry Morgan, 1678, acting, second time
- The Earl of Carlisle, 1678–1680
- Sir Henry Morgan, 1680–1682, acting, third time
- Sir Thomas Lynch, 1682–1684, third time
- Hender Molesworth, 1684–December 1687, acting
- Christopher Monck The Duke of Albermarle, 1687–1688
- Hender Molesworth, 1688–1689, acting
- Francis Watson, 1689–1690, acting
Governors of Jamaica (1691-1962)
- The Earl of Inchiquin, 1690–1691
- John White, 1691–1692, acting
- John Burden, 1692–1693, acting
- Sir William Beefton, March 1693–January 1702, acting to 1699
- William Selwyn, 1702
- Peter Beckford, 1702, acting
- Thomas Handasyde, 1702–1711, acting to 1704
- Lord Archibald Hamilton, 1711–1716
- Peter Heywood, 1716–1718
- Sir Nicholas Lawes, 1718–1722
- The Duke of Portland, 1722–4 July 1726
- John Ayscough, 1726–1728, acting, first time
- Robert Hunter, 1728–March 1734
- John Ayscough, 1734–1735, acting, second time
- John Gregory, 1735, acting, first time
- Henry Cunninghame, 1735–1736
- John Gregory, 1736–1738, acting, second time
- Edward Trelawny, 1738–1752
- Charles Knowles, 1752–January 1756
- Sir Henry Moore, February 1756–April 1756, acting, first time
- George Haldane, April 1756–November 1759
- Sir Henry Moore, November 1759–1762, acting, second time
- Sir William Lyttleton, 1762–1766
- Roger Hope Elletson, 1766–1767
- Sir William Trelawny, 1767–December 1772
- John Dalling, December 1772–1774, acting, first time
- Sir Basil Keith, 1774–1777
- John Dalling, 1777–1781, second time
- Archibald Campbell, 1781–1784, acting to 1783
- Alured Clarke, 1784–1790
- The Earl of Effingham, 1790–19 November 1791
- Sir Adam Williamson, 1791–1795, acting
- The Earl of Balcarres, 1795–1801
- Sir George Nugent, 1801–1805
- Sir Eyre Coote, 1806–1808
- The Duke of Manchester, 1808–1821
- Sir John Keane, 1827–1829, acting
- The Earl Belmore, 1829–1832
- George Cuthbert, 1832, acting, first time
- The Earl of Mulgrave, 1832–1834
- Sir Amos Norcot, 1834, acting
- George Cuthbert, 1834, acting, second time
- The Marquess of Sligo, 1834–1836
- Sir Lionel Smith, 1836–1839
- Sir Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1839–1842
- The Earl of Elgin, 1842–1846
- George Henry Frederick Berkeley, 1846–1847, acting
- Sir Charles Edward Grey, 1847–1853
- Sir Henry Barkly, 1853–1856
- Edward Wells Bell, 1856–1857, acting
- Charles Henry Darling, 1857–1862
- Edward John Eyre, 1862–1865, acting to 1864
- Sir Henry Knight Storks, 12 December 1865–16 July 1866
- Sir John Peter Grant, 1866–1874
- W. A. G. Young, 1874, acting
- Sir William Grey, 1874–January 1877
- Edward Everard Rushworth Mann, January 1877, acting
- Sir Anthony Musgrave, January 1877–1883
- Somerset M. Wiseman Clarke, 1883, acting
- Dominic Jacotin Gamble, 1883, acting
- Sir Henry Wylie Norman, 1883–1889
- William Clive Justice, 1889, acting
- Sir Henry Arthur Blake, 1889–1898
- Henry Jardine Hallowes, 1898, acting
- Sir Augustus William Lawson Hemming, 1898–1904
- Sydney Haldane Olivier, 1904, acting, first time
- Hugh Clarence Bourne, 1904, acting, first time
- Sir James Alexander Swettenham, 30 September 1904–1907
- Hugh Clarence Bourne, 1907, acting, second time
- Sydney Haldane Olivier, 16 May 1907–January 1913, acting
- Philip Clark Cork, January 1913–7 March 1913, acting
- Sir William Henry Manning, 7 March 1913–11 May 1918
- Robert Johnstone, 11 May 1918–11 June 1918, acting
- Sir Leslie Probyn, 11 June 1918–1924
- Herbert Bryan, 1924, acting, first time
- Sir Samuel Herbert Wilson, 29 September 1924–June 1925
- Sir Herbert Bryan, 1925, acting, second time
- A. S. Jeef, October 1925–26 April 1926, acting, first time
- Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs, 26 April 1926–9 November 1932
- A. S. Jeef, 9 November 1932–21 November 1932, acting, second time
- Sir Alexander Ransford Slater, 21 November 1932–April 1934
- A. S. Jeef, April 1934–24 October 1934, acting, third time
- Sir Edward Brandis Denham, 24 October 1934–2 June 1938
- Charles Campbell Woolley, 2 June 1938–19 August 1938, acting
- Sir Arthur Frederick Richards, 19 August 1938–July 1943
- William Henry Flinn, July 1943–29 September 1943, acting
- Sir John Huggins, 29 September 1943–7 April 1951
- Sir Hugh Mackintosh Foot, 7 April 1951–18 November 1957
- Sir Kenneth Blackburne, 18 December 1957–6 August 1962
In 1962, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom. Since independence, the viceroy in Jamaica has been the Governor-General of Jamaica.
The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch, and head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica (as of 1962, Queen Elizabeth II).
The Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoints a Governor-General to be her representative in Jamaica. Neither the Queen nor the Governor-General has any real authority in conducting the administration of the country (however, both possess reserve powers under the constitution which would allow them full control of the nation's governance whenever in their opinion a case of emergency requiring such action arises). Real legislative and executive responsibilities rest with the elected representatives of the people.
The Governor-General represents the Queen on ceremonial occasions such as the opening of Parliament, the presentation of honours and military parades. Under the Constitution, he is given authority to act in some matters, for example in appointing and disciplining officers of the civil service, in proroguing Parliament and so on, but only in a few cases is he empowered to act entirely on his own discretion.[1]
Governors-General of Jamaica, 1962-present
- Sir Kenneth Blackburne (6 August–30 November 1962)
- Sir Clifford Clarence Campbell (1 December 1962–2 March 1973), the first native Governor-General of Jamaica.
- Sir Herbert Duffus (2 March–27 June 1973) (acting)
- Sir Florizel Glasspole (27 June 1973–31 March 1991)
- Edward Zacca (31 March–1 August 1991) (acting)
- Sir Howard Cooke (1 August 1991–15 February 2006)
- Sir Kenneth O. Hall (15 February 2006–26 February 2009)
- Sir Patrick Allen (26 February 2009–present)