List of governors 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
Sir Peter Colleton, 1670-1717
Sir George Carteret, 1670-1680
Lord Berkeley
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 Galvez, 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
Bahamas