Governor of the Bahamas

This is a list of colonial heads of the Bahamas.  The first English settlement in the Bahamas was on Eleuthera.  In 1670, the king gave the Bahamas to the Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina, but the islands were left alone.  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 moved out.

During the American War of Independence, the Bahamas were occupied by both the American and Spanish armies.  In 1964, the Bahamas achieved self-governance. In 1973 the Bahamas were given full independence. Hugh Wentworth was the 1st  governor of the Bahamas .

Governors on Eleuthera (1648–1657) 
 William Sayle, 1648–1657

Proprietary Governors of the Bahamas (1670–1706) 
On November 1 1670, the Bahamas were granted to the Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina:
 Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, 1670–November 1688
 William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven (1608-1697), 1670–9 April 1697
 Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, 1670–1717 
 Peter Colleton, 1670–1717
 Sir George Carteret, 1670–1680

The islands were mainly left alone, but the Lords Proprietors appointed Proprietary Governors to administer them:
 Hugh Wentworth, 1671
 John Wentworth, December 1671–1676
 Charles Chillingworth, 1676–1677
 Robert Clarke, 1677–1682
 Robert Lilburne, 1684

In 1684, a joint French and Spanish fleet destroyed Charles Town (now called Nassau).
 Thomas Bridges, 1687–1690
 Cadwallader Jones, 1690–1693
 Nicholas Trott, 1694–1696
 Nicholas Webb, 1697–1699
 Read Elding, 1699–1700, acting
 Elias Haskett, 1700–1701
 Ellis Lightfoot, 1701–1705
 Edward Birch, 1706
 Thomas Walker, 1706

Pirate Rule (1706–1718) 

From 1706 until July 26 1718, the Bahamas were ruled by the anarchic Privateer's Republic, including:
 Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Chief Magistrate
 Thomas Barrow
 Benjamin Hornigold

Governors of the Bahamas (1717–1969) 

In 1717 the Bahamas became a British crown colony.  The pirates were driven out in 1718 by Woodes Rogers, the colony's first governor.
 Woodes Rogers, 26 July 1718–1721, first time
 George Phenney, 1721–1728
 Woodes Rogers, August 1729–16 July 1732, second time
 Richard Thompson, 1732–1733, acting
 Richard Fitzwilliams, November 1733–1740
 John Tinker, 1740–1758
 John Gambier, 1758–1760, acting, first time
 William Shirley, 1760–1768
 Thomas Shirley, 28 November 1768–1774
 Montfort Browne, 1774–3 March 1776
 Samuel Nicholas, March 3 1776–17 March 1776, Commandant (American occupation)
 John Gambier, March 17 1776–1778, acting, second time
 Montfort Browne, 1778–1779, restored
 John Robert Maxwell, 1780–8 May 1782
 Bernardo de Gálvez, May 8 1782–19 April 1783, Governor of Louisiana (Spanish occupation)
 Andrew de Vau, 1783 acting
 John Robert Maxwell, 1783–1784, restored
 James Edward Powell, 1784–1786
 John Brown, 1786–1787, acting
 Lord Dunmore, 1787–1796
 Robert Hunt, 1796–14 February 1797, acting
 John Forbes, February 14 1797–June 1797
 William Dowdeswell, November 20 1797–1801
 John Halkett, 1801–1804
 Charles Cameron, May 8 1804–1820
 Lewis Grant, 1821–1829
 James Carmichael Smyth, 1829–1833
 Blayney Townley Balfour, 1833–1835
 William Macbean George Colebrooke, 1835–1837
 Francis Cockburne, 1837–1844
 George Benvenuto Matthew, 1844–1849
 John Gregory, 1849–1854
 Sir Alexander Bannerman, 1854–1857
 Charles John Bayley, 1857–1864
 Rawson William Rawson, 1864–1869
 Sir James Walker, 1869–1871
 George Cumine Strahan, 1871–1873
 Sir John Pope Hennessy, 1873–1874
 Sir William Robinson, 1874–1880
 Jeremiah Thomas Fitzgerald Callaghan, 1880–1881
 Sir Charles Cameron Lees, 1882–January 1884
 Sir Henry Arthur Blake, January 4 1884–1887
 Sir Ambrose Shea, 1887–1895
 Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith, 1895–1898
 Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter, 1898–1904
 Sir William Grey-Wilson, November 29 1904–1912
 Sir George Basil Haddon-Smith, October 29 1912–1914
 Sir William Lamond Allardyce, June 15 1914–1920
 Sir Harry Edward Spiller Cordeaux, December 8 1920–1926
 Sir Charles William James Orr, March 15 1927–January 1932
 Sir Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford, 10 January 1932–1934
 Sir Charles Cecil Farquharson Dundas, 1934–1940, acting to 1937
 HRH The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, 18 August 1940–1945
 Sir William Lindsay Murphy, 28 July 1945–1950
 Sir George Ritchie Sandford, 5 January 1950–December 1950
 Sir Robert Arthur Ross Neville, 7 December 1950–1953
 Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly, 21 December 1953–1956
 Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur, 1 April 1957–1960
 Sir Robert Stapeldon, 18 July 1960–1964
 Ralph Francis Alnwick Grey, 3 June 1964–1968
 Sir Francis Edward Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 1 November 1968–1969

Governors of the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands (1969–1973) 
In 1969, the crown colony became the Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands.
 Sir Francis Edward Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 1969–1972, continued.
 Sir John Warburton Paul, 14 May 1972–10 July 1973

On July 10 1973, the Bahamas achieved independence from Britain.  Following independence, the viceroy in the Bahamas was the Governor-General of the Bahamas.

Other websites
 Rulers.org

British Empire
Bahamian politicians