# List of governors of the Danish West Indies

This article lists the governors of the Danish West Indies (Danish: Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands, a Danish colony in the Caribbean encompassing the territory of the present-day United States Virgin Islands.

## Governors of St. Thomas

St. Thomas was claimed by Denmark–Norway in 1665.
| | Incumbent | Term |
| 1 | Erik Nielson Smit | 6 May 1665 – 12 June 1666 |
| 2 | Kjeld Jensen Slagelse | c. 1666 |
| 3 | Jørgen Iversen Dyppel | 25 May 1672 – 4 July 1680 |
| 4 | Nicolai Esmit | 4 July 1680 – November 1682 |
| 5 | Adolph Esmit | November 1680 – 7 May 1684 |

## Governors of St. Thomas and St. John

St. John (St. Jan) was claimed by Danish West India Company in 1683, which was disputed by the British until 1718.
| | Incumbent | Term | Notes |
| 1 | Gabriel Milan | 7 May 1684 – 27 February 1686 | |
| 2 | Mikkel Mikkelsen (interim) | 27 February 1686 – 29 June 1686 |
| 3 | Christopher Heins | 29 June 1686 – March 1687 | |
| 4 | Adolph Esmit (interim) | March 1687 – October 1688 | Second term |
| 5 | Christopher Heins | October 1688 – October 1689 | Second term |
| 6 | Johan Lorensen | October 1689 – 17 September 1692 | |
| 7 | Frans de la Vigne | 17 September 1692 – 7 April 1693 | |
| 8 | Johan Lorensen | 7 April 1693 – 19 February 1702 | Second term |
| 9 | Claus Hansen | 19 February 1702 – 8 February 1706 |
| 10 | Joachim Melchior von Holten | 8 February 1706 – 21 December 1708 | |
| 11 | Diderich Mogensen | 21 December 1708 – 1710 |
| 12 | Mikkel Knudsen Crone | 1710 – 8 August 1716 |
| 13 | Erik Bredal | 8 August 1716 – April 1724 | During his term St. John was occupied. |
| 14 | Friderich Moth | April 1724 – May 1727 |
| 15 | Henrich von Suhm | May 1727 – 21 February 1733 |
| 16 | Phillip Gardelin [da; no] | 21 February 1733 – 21 February 1736 | During his term there was a slave rebellion. |
| 17 | Friderich Moth | 21 February 1736 – 13 April 1744 | Second term. Also governor of St. Croix (see below). |
| 18 | Jacob Schönemann | 1740 – 1744 |
| 19 | Christian von Schweder | 13 April 1744 – 25 April 1747 |
| 20 | Christian Suhm | 25 April 1747 – 1758 |
| 21 | Harrien Felschauer | 1758 – 1760 |
| 22 | Johan Georg von John | 1760 – April 1764 |
| 23 | Ditlev Wilhelm Wildthagen | April 1764 – November 1764 |
| 24 | Peter Gynthelberg | November 1764 – 1765 |
| 25 | Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff | 1765 – 1766 | Later Governor-General (see below). |
| 26 | Jens Nielsen Kragh | 1766 – 1773 | |
| 27 | Thomas de Malleville | 1773 – 1796 | Later Governor-General (see below). |
| 28 | Balthazar Frederik Mühlenfels | 1796 – 1800 | Later Governor-General (see below). |
| 29 | Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten [da; de; no] | 1800 – March 1801 |
| 30 | John Clayton Cowell | 31 March 1801 – 27 March 1802 | British occupation. |
| 31 | Willum von Rømeling | 27 March 1802 – 1803 |
| 32 | Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten | 1803 – December 1807 | Second term |
| 33 | Fitzroy J. Grafton McLean | December 1807 – 20 November 1815 | British occupation. |
| 34 | Christian Ludvig von Holten | 20 November 1815 – 1818 |
| 35 | Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten | 1818 – 1820 | Later Governor-General (see below). |
| 36 | Christian Ludvig von Holten |valign=top|February 1820 – March 1820 | Second term |
| 37 | Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten | April 1820 – July 1820 | Second term |
| 38 | Carl Gottlieb Fleischer | 1820 – 1822 |
| 39 | Carl Wilhelm Jessen | 1822 – 1823 | |
| 40 | Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten | 1823 – 1826 | Third term |
| 41 | Johannes Søbøtker | 1826 – 1829 | |
| 42 | Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn [de] | 1829 – 1830 |
| 43 | Lewin Jürgen Rohde Acting | 1830-1830 |
| 44 | Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn | 1830 - 1831 |
| 45 | Lewin Jürgen Rohde Acting | 1831 - 1832 |
| 46 | Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn | 1832 – 1834 |
| 47 | Frederik Oxholm | 1834 – 1836 |
| 48 | Johannes Søbøtker | 1836 – 1848 | Second term |
| 49 | Hans Henrik Berg | 1848 |
| 50 | Frederik Oxholm | 1848 – 1852 | Second term |
| 51 | Hans Henrik Berg | 1853 – 1862 | Second term |

## Governors of St. Croix

St. Croix was bought from French West India Company in 1733.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| 1 | | Frederik Moth (1694–1746) | 16 November 1733 | 20 February 1736 | 2 years, 96 days |
| – | | Gregers Høg Nissen (1709–1772) Acting | 24 February 1736 | 16 April 1744 | 8 years, 52 days |
| – | | Paul Lindemark Jørgensen Acting | 16 April 1744 | 15 May 1747 | 3 years, 29 days |
| 2 | | Jens Hansen [da] (1719–1758) | 15 May 1747 | 22 December 1751 | 4 years, 221 days |
| 3 | | Peter Clausen [da] (1721–1784) | 22 December 1751 | 6 August 1755 | 3 years, 227 days |
In 1754, the Danish West Indies were sold by Danish West India Company to King Frederick V, becoming royal Danish-Norwegian colonies. Hereafter, St. Croix was governed by the Governors-General of the Danish West Indies.

## Governor-generals of the Danish West Indies

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| Governor-general ||||||
| 1 | | Christian Leberecht von Prøck (1718–1780) | 6 August 1755 | 7 August 1766 | 11 years, 1 day |
| 2 | | Peter Clausen [da] (1721–1784) | 7 August 1766 | 4 May 1770 | 3 years, 270 days |
| 3 | | Frederik Christian Moth (1730–1808) | 4 May 1770 | 1 March 1772 | 1 year, 302 days |
| 4 | | Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff (1729–1821) | 1 March 1772 | 31 July 1773 | 1 year, 152 days |
| – | | Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann (1743–1793) Acting | 31 July 1773 | 27 October 1773 | 88 days |
| (2) | | Peter Clausen [da] (1721–1784) | 27 October 1773 | 24 June 1784 † | 10 years, 329 days |
| 5 | | Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann (1743–1793) | 25 June 1784 | 31 December 1787 | 3 years, 189 days |
| 6 | | Ernst Frederik Walterstorff (1755–1820) | 31 December 1787 | 25 July 1794 | 6 years, 206 days |
| 7 | | Wilhelm Anton Lindemann [da] (1739–1801) | 25 July 1794 | 8 May 1796 | 1 year, 288 days |
| 8 | | Thomas de Malleville (1739–1798) | 8 May 1796 | 26 October 1798 | 2 years, 171 days |
| (7) | | Wilhelm Anton Lindemann [da] (1739–1801) | 26 October 1798 | 31 March 1801 | 2 years, 156 days |
| (6) | | Ernst Frederik Walterstorff (1755–1820) | 16 February 1802 | 16 February 1803 | 1 year, 0 days |
| 9 | | Balthazar Frederik Mühlenfels (?–1807) | 16 February 1803 | 22 March 1807 | 4 years, 34 days |
| 10 | | Hans Christopher Lillienskjøld (1762–1837) | 22 March 1807 | 25 December 1807 | 278 days |
| British occupation ||||||
| – | | Henry Bowyer | 25 December 1807 | 1 April 1815 | 7 years, 97 days |
| End of British occupation ||||||
| 11 | | Peter Lotharius Oxholm (1753–1827) | 1 April 1815 | 1 May 1816 | 1 year, 30 days |
| – | | Johan Henrik von Stabel (1774–1831) Acting | 1 May 1816 | 1 July 1816 | 61 days |
| 12 | | Adrian Benjamin Bentzon (1777–1827) | 1 July 1816 | 26 June 1819 | 2 years, 360 days |
| – | | Johan Henrik von Stabel (1774–1831) Acting | 26 June 1819 | 16 October 1820 | 1 year, 112 days |
| 13 | | Carl Adolph Rothe (1767–1834) | 16 October 1820 | 5 July 1822 | 1 year, 262 days |
| 14 | | Johan Frederik Bardenfleth (1772–1833) | 5 July 1822 | 14 July 1827 | 5 years, 9 days |
| 15 | | Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten (1784–1854) | 14 July 1827 | 6 July 1848 | 20 years, 358 days |
| – | | Frederik Oxholm (1801–1871) Acting | 6 July 1848 | 27 November 1848 | 144 days |
| Government Commissioner ||||||
| 16 | | Peder Hansen [da] (1798–1880) | 27 November 1848 | 24 June 1851 | 2 years, 209 days |
| Governor ||||||
| 17 | | Hans Ditmar Frederik Feddersen (1805–1863) | 24 June 1851 | 27 April 1855 | 3 years, 307 days |
| 18 | | Johan Frederik Schlegel (1817–1896) | 27 April 1855 | 31 May 1860 | 5 years, 34 days |
| 19 | | Vilhelm Ludvig Birch [da] (1817–1896) | 31 May 1860 | 25 February 1871 | 10 years, 270 days |
| – | | John Christmas (1799–1873) Acting | 26 February 1871 | 30 June 1871 | 124 days |
| – | | Frantz Bille [da] (1832–1918) Acting | 30 June 1871 | 1 July 1872 | 1 year, 1 day |
| – | | Johan August Stakeman (1805–1891) Acting | 1 July 1872 | 24 September 1872 | 85 days |
| 20 | | Janus August Garde (1823–1893) | 25 September 1872 | 23 March 1881 | 8 years, 179 days |
| 21 | | Christian Henrik Arendrup (1837–1913) | 15 April 1881 | 22 December 1893 | 12 years, 251 days |
| 22 | | Carl Emil Hedemann (1852–1929) | 22 December 1893 | 17 April 1903 | 9 years, 116 days |
| 23 | | Herman August Jürs (1838–1918) | 17 April 1903 | 21 January 1904 | 279 days |
| 24 | | Frederik Theodor Martin Mortensen Nordlien | 22 January 1904 | 2 April 1905 | 1 year, 70 days |
| 25 | | Christian Cold (1863–1934) | 27 April 1905 | 21 February 1908 | 4 years, 25 days |
| 26 | | Peter Carl Limpricht [da] (1838–1912) | 21 February 1908 | 4 August 1911 | 3 years, 164 days |
| 27 | | Christian Helweg-Larsen [da] (1860–1934) | 7 November 1911 | 3 October 1916 | 5 years, 60 days |
| – | | Henri Konow (1862–1939) Acting | 3 October 1916 | 31 March 1917 | 179 days |
The Danish West Indies were sold by Denmark to the United States on 12 December 1916. The administration was officially turned over on 31 March 1917, and the first US governor was Navy Captain Edwin Taylor Pollock. For governors of the territory after the establishment of the US administration, see List of governors of the United States Virgin Islands.