List of colonial heads of Sierra Leone

This is a list of **colonial administrators in Sierra Leone** from the establishment of the Province of Freedom by the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor in 1787 until Sierra Leone's independence in 1961.

## Administrator (1787) 
On 14 May 1787, the Province of Freedom was founded by the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor for freed slaves.
*B. Thompson (14 May - September 1787)

## Governor (1787-1789) 
On 22 August 1788, the Province of Freedom and the land along the Freetown peninsula was given to Captain John Taylor of the HMS *Miro*. In 1789, it was abandoned.

*John Taylor (August 1788 - 1789)

## Agent (1791-1792) 
In January 1791, Granville Town was taken back by the St. George Bay Company.
*Alexander Falconbridge (January 1791 - March 1792)

## Superintendent (1792) 
In 1792, Freetown was founded as the main town of the newly established Colony of Sierra Leone

*John Clarkson (March - July 1792)

## Governors (1792-1827) 
*John Clarkson (July - 31 December 1792)
*William Dawes (31 December 1792 - March 1794) *(1st time)*
*Zachary Macaulay (March 1794 - 6 May 1795) *(1st time)*
*William Dawes (6 May 1795 - March 1796) *(2nd time)*
*Zachary Macaulay (March 1796 - April 1799) *(2nd time)*
*John Gray (April - May 1799) *(1st time)*

On 5 July 1799, the Province of Freedom was renamed Sierra Leone.
*Thomas Ludlum (May 1799 - 1800) *(1st time)*
*John Gray (1800 - January 1801) *(2nd time)*
*William Dawes (January 1801 - February 1803) *(3rd time)* 
*William Day (February 1803 - 1803) *(1st time)*
*Thomas Ludlum (1803 - 1805) *(2nd time)*
*William Day (1805 - 4 November 1805) *(2nd time)*

On 1 January 1808, Sierra Leone (including the coastal area) becomes a Crown colony of the United Kingdom, and the Sierra Leone Company stopped being in charge.
*Thomas Ludlum (1806 - 21 July 1808) *(3rd time, acting to 1 January 1808)*
*Thomas Perronet Thompson (21 July 1808 - 12 February 1810)
*Edward H. Columbine (12 February 1810 - May 1811)
*Robert Bones (May - 1 July 1811) *(acting)*
*Charles William Maxwell (1 July 1811 - July 1815)
*Charles MacCarthy (July - December 1814) *(1st time, acting for Maxwell)*
*J. Mailing (December 1814 - January 1815) *(acting for Maxwell)*
*R. Purdie (January - March 1815) *(acting for Maxwell)*
*William Appleton (March - June 1815) *(acting for Maxwell)*
*H.B. Hyde (June - July 1815) *(acting for Maxwell)*
*Charles MacCarthy (from 1820, Sir Charles Macarthy) (July 1815 - July 1820) *(2nd time, acting to 1 January 1816)*
*Sir Alexander Grant (July 1820 - 1821) *(1st time, acting)*
*Burke (1821) *(acting)*

On 17 October 1821, Sierra Leone territory became part of British West African Territories. Its Governorship was held by the Governor (from 1827 until 1837 Lieutenant governor) of Sierra Leone.

*Sir Alexander Grant (1821 - November 1821) *(2nd time, acting)*
*Sir Charles MacCarthy (November 1821 - 21 January 1824) *(3rd time)*
*Daniel Molloy Hamilton (21 January - 5 February 1824) *(acting)*
*Charles Turner (5 February 1824 - 7 March 1826)
*Kenneth Macaulay and Samuel Smart *(1st time)* (8 March - August 1826) *(acting)*
*Sir Neil Campbell (August 1826 - December 1827)

## Lieutenant governors (1827-1837) 
*Hugh Lumley (December 1827 - 1828) *(1st time)*
*Dixon Denham (1828 - 8 May 1828)
*Hugh Lumley (9 June - July 1828) *(2nd time)*
*Samuel Smart (July - November 1828) *(2nd time, acting)*
*Henry John Ricketts (November 1828 - 1829) *(acting)*
*Augustine Fitzgerald Evans (1829 - 1830) *(acting)*
*Alexander Maclean Fraser (1830) *(acting)*
*Alexander Findlay (1830 - July 1833) 
*Michael Linning Melville (July - December 1833) *(acting)*
*Octavius Temple (December 1833 - 1834)
*Thomas Cole (1834 - February 1835) *(1st time, acting)*
*Henry Dundas Campbell (February 1835 - 1837)
*Thomas Cole (1837) *(2nd time, acting)*

## Governors (1837-1961) 
*Richard Doherty (1837 - 1840)
*John Jeremie (1840 - April 1841)
*J. Carr (April - September 1841) *(acting)*
*William Fergusson (September 1841 - January 1842) *(1st time, acting)* 
*George Macdonald (January 1842 - July 1844)
*William Fergusson (July 1844 - 1845) *(2nd time)*

On 13 January 1850, Sierra Leone becomes a separate crown colony again.
*Norman William MacDonald (1845 - 1852)
*Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy (1852 - 1854) *(1st time)* 
*Robert Dougan (1854) *(1st time, acting)*
*Sir Stephan John Hill (1854 - 1855) *(1st time)*
*Robert Dougan (1855) *(2nd time)*
*Sir Stephan John Hill (1855 - 1859) *(2nd time)*
*Alexander Fitzjames (1859 - 1860)
*Sir Stephan John Hill (1860 - 1861) *(3rd time)*
*William Hill and Smith (1861 - 1862) *(acting)*
*Samuel Wensley Blackall (1862 - 1865) *(1st time)*
*Chamberlayne (1865 - 19 February 1866) *(acting)*

On 19 February 1866, Sierra Leone territory becomes part of the British West African Settlements. Its Governorship was held by the Governor of Sierra Leone.
*Samuel Wensley Blackall (19 February 1866 - 1867) *(2nd time)*
*Gustavus N.K. Yonge (1867) *(acting)*
*Samuel Wensley Blackall (1867 - 1868) *(3rd time)*
*John Jennings Kendall (1868 - 1869) *(1st time, acting)* 
*Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy (1869 - 1871) *(2nd time)*
*John Jennings Kendall (1871) *(2nd time, acting)*
*Sheppard (1871) *(acting)*
*Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy (1871 - January 1872) *(3rd time)* 
*John Jennings Kendall (January - February 1872) *(3rd time, acting)*
*John Pope Hennessey (February 1872 - 7 March 1873) 
*Robert William Keate (7 March - 17 March 1873)
*Alexander Bravo and Robert William Harley (17 March - 2 October 1873) *(acting)*
*Sir Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley (2 October 1873 - 4 March 1874) 
*George Berkeley (4 March - 17 December 1874)

On 17 December 1874, British West African Settlements became known as British West Africa Settlements.
*George French (17 December 1874 - 1875) *(acting)* 
*Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright (1875) *(1st time)*
*Sir Samuel Rowe (1875 - 1876) *(1st time)*
*Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright (1876 - 1877) *(2nd time)*
*Horatio James Huggins (1877) *(acting)*
*Sir Samuel Rowe (September 1877 - 1880) *(2nd time)*
*William Streeten (1880 - 1881) *(acting)*
*Sir Samuel Rowe (1881) *(3rd time)*
*Franas Frederick Pinkett (1881) *(1st time, acting)*
*Arthur Elibank Havelock (1881 - 1883) *(1st time)*
*Franas Frederick Pinkett (1883) *(2nd time, acting)*
*Arthur Elibank Havelock (1883 - 1884) *(2nd time)*
*Arthur M. Tarleton (1884) *(acting)*
*Franas Frederick Pinkett (1884 - 1885) *(3rd time, acting)*
*Sir Samuel Rowe (1885 - 1886) *(4th time)*
*James Shaw Hay (1886 - 1887) *(1st time, acting)*
*Sir Samuel Rowe (1887 - 1888) *(5th time)*
*J.M. Maltby (1888) *(1st time, acting)*

On 28 November 1888, the Sierra Leone became a separate crown colony again.
*Sir James Shaw Hay (1888 - 1889) *(2nd time, acting to 24 November 1888)* 
*Patchett and Foster (1889) *(acting)*
*J.M. Maltby (1889 - 1890) *(2nd time)*
*Sir James Shaw Hay (1890 - 1891) *(3rd time)*
*J.J. Crooks (1891 - 1892) *(acting)*
*W.H.Q. Jones (1892) *(1st time, acting)*
*Francis Fleming (1892 - 1893) *(1st time)*
*W.H.Q. Jones (1893) *(2nd time, acting)*
*Francis Fleming (1893 - 1894) *(2nd time)*
*W.H.Q. Jones (1894) *(3rd time, acting)*
*Frederic Cardew (1894 - 1895) *(1st time)*
*Caulfield (1895 - 24 August 1895) *(1st time, acting)*

On 24 August 1895, the land by the coast of Sierra Leone became a British protectorate, and the crown colony was renamed as the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate.
*Frederic Cardew (from 22 June 1897, Sir Frederic Cardew) (24 August 1895 - 1897) *(2nd time)*
*J.C. Gore (1897) *(acting)*
*Caulfield (1897) *(2nd time, acting)*
*Sir Frederic Cardew (1897 - 1899) *(3rd time)*
*Matthew Nathan (1899) *(acting)*
*Sir Frederic Cardew (1899 - 1900) *(4th time)*
*Caulfield (1900 - 11 December 1900) *(3rd time, acting)*
*Sir Charles Anthony King-Harman (11 December 1900 - 3 October 1904)
*Sir Leslie Probyn (3 October 1904 - 1910)
*Sir Edward Marsh Merewether (1910 - 1913) *(1st time)* 
*Claude Hollis (1913) *(acting)*
*Sir Edward Marsh Merewether (1913 - 1916) *(2nd time)* 
*Sir Richard James Wilkinson (9 March 1916 - 1921) *(1st time)* 
*John C. Maxwell (1921) *(acting)*
*Sir Richard James Wilkinson (1921 - 4 May 1922) *(2nd time)*
*Alexander Ransford Slater (from 1924, Sir Alexander Ransford Slater) (4 May 1922 - 24 September 1927)
*Sir Joseph Aloysius Byrne (24 September 1927 - 1929) *(1st time)*
*Mark Aitchison Young (1929 - 1930) *(acting)*
*Sir Joseph Aloysius Byrne (1930 - 23 May 1931) *(2nd time)*
*Sir Arnold Wienholt Hodson (23 May 1931 - 17 July 1934)
*Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (17 July 1934 - 21 May 1937)
*Sir Douglas James Jardine (21 May 1937 - 5 July 1941)
*Sir Hubert Craddock Stevenson (5 July 1941 - September 1947)
*Sir George Beresford-Stooke (September 1947 - December 1952)
*Sir Robert de Zouche Hall (December 1952 - 1 September 1956)
*Maurice Henry Dorman (from 2 January 1957, Sir Maurice Henry Dorman) (1 September 1956 - 27 April 1961)

In 1961, Sierra Leone achieved independence from the United Kingdom. After independence, the viceroy in Sierra Leone was the Governor-General of Sierra Leone.

## References 
**Guinness Book of Kings, Rulers & Statesmen*, Clive Carpenter, Guinness Superlatives Ltd
**African States and Rulers*, John Stewart, McFarland

## Other websites 
*Worldstatesmen.org