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Governors of British Ceylon

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The governor of Ceylon was the representative in Ceylon of the British Crown from 1795 to 1948. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in Ceylon. The governor was the head of the British colonial administration in Ceylon, reporting to the Colonial Office.

Governor of Ceylon
Flag of Governor of Ceylon
Longest serving
Edward Barnes
1 February 1820–2 February 1822
18 January 1824–13 October 1831
StyleHis Excellency
ResidenceGovernment House
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
PrecursorGovernor of Ceylon
FormationAugust 1795
First holderPatrick Alexander Agnew
as Military Governor
Final holderHenry Monck-Mason Moore
Abolished4 February 1948
SuccessionGovernor-General of Ceylon

With Ceylon gaining self-rule and dominion status with the creation of Dominion of Ceylon in 1948, this office was replaced by the Governor-General, who represented the British monarch as the head of state. The office of Governor-General was itself abolished in 1972 and replaced by the post of President when Sri Lanka became a republic.

Appointment

The governor, appointed by the British monarch (on the advice of the prime minister and the secretary of state for the colonies), maintained executive power in Ceylon throughout British rule.

Powers and functions

The governor was the head of the executive administration in the island. Initially limited to the coastal regions, the authority of the governor was extended to the provinces of the Kingdom of Kandy following the Kandyan Convention in 1815. The governor had absolute power in the island deriving it from the traditional powers of the Dutch governors and the king of Kandy and reporting to the secretary of state for the colonies. it was in the Colebrooke Reforms which first defined the role of the governor as "the representative of the Sovereign the Monarch who rules over the Parliament of the United Kingdom". These reforms introduced the first legislator which was expanded over the next century in the reforms that took place. Upon independence in 1948, the office of the Governor was abolished and replaced with that of the Governor-General as the representative of the sovereign.[1]

The governor was the commander-in-chief of British Forces in Ceylon, except only during World War II, when Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon with power exceeding that of the governor.

Ceremonial

In November each year, the governor would receive the annual tribute from the sultan of Maldives. The governor was the ex-officio Chancellor of the University of Ceylon and patron of the Royal College Colombo.

Council

Following the Colebrooke Reforms the Executive Council of Ceylon and the Legislative Council of Ceylon was established with the Governor chairing both these councils. In 1931, the Legislative Council was replaced by the State Council of Ceylon with limited self-government.

Style and title

The title of the position was "Governor of Ceylon" and was styled Excellency and enjoyed precedence over all other government officials in Ceylon. He was referred to as 'His Excellency' and addressed as 'Your Excellency'. This practice as constituted to the office of President.

Privileges

Residence

The governor's main residence and office was the King's House in Colombo and secondary residence was the King's Pavilion in Kandy. The vacationing residence of the governor, Queen's Cottage, was located in the hill station of Nuwara Eliya.

Guard

The Governor's Bodyguard was a mounted guard that functioned as a ceremonial guard for the governor when attending state functions. An ceremonial native regiment of Lascoreens was maintained by the office of the governor to provide a ceremonial guard on special occasions such as the Maldivian Tribute or royal visits.

Staff

The governor's office was housed at King's House and had a permanent staff. It consisted of the secretary to the governor, a private secretary, an aide-de-camp, the maha mudaliyar, an office assistant and support staff.

List of governors

  Acting governor
No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)		Term of officeSovereignRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Military Governors (1795–1798)
1Patrick Alexander Agnew
(1765–1813)
(in Trincomalee)		August 17951 March 17967 monthsGeorge III
2 James Stuart
(1741–1815)		1 March 17961 January 1797306 daysGeorge III
3Welbore Ellis Doyle
(1758–1797)		1 January 17972 July 1797182 daysGeorge III
4Peter Bonnevaux
(c. 1752–1797)		2 July 179712 July 1797 †10 daysGeorge III
5Pierre Frédéric de Meuron
(1788–1813)		12 July 179712 October 17981 year, 92 daysGeorge III
Resident and Superintendent (1796–1798)
1Robert Andrews
(1763–1821)		12 February 179612 October 17982 years, 242 daysGeorge III
Governors (1798–1948)
1 Frederick North
(1766–1827)		12 October 179819 July 18056 years, 280 daysGeorge III
2 Thomas Maitland
(1760–1824)		19 July 180519 March 18115 years, 243 daysGeorge III
John Wilson
(1780–1856)
Acting		19 March 181111 March 1812358 daysGeorge III
3 Robert Brownrigg
(1759–1833)		11 March 18121 February 18207 years, 327 daysGeorge III
Edward Barnes
(1776–1838)
Acting		1 February 18202 February 18222 years, 1 dayGeorge III
George IV
4 Edward Paget
(1775–1849)		2 February 18226 November 1822277 daysGeorge IV
James Campbell
(c. 1773–1835)
Acting		6 November 182218 January 18241 year, 73 daysGeorge IV
5 Edward Barnes
(1776–1838)		18 January 182413 October 18317 years, 268 daysGeorge IV
William IV
John Wilson
(1780–1856)
Acting		13 October 183123 October 183110 daysWilliam IV
6 Robert Wilmot-Horton
(1784–1841)		23 October 18317 November 18376 years, 15 daysWilliam IV
Queen Victoria
7 James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie
(1784–1843)		7 November 183715 April 18413 years, 159 daysQueen Victoria
8 Colin Campbell
(1776–1847)		15 April 184119 April 18476 years, 4 daysQueen Victoria
James Emerson Tennent
(1804–1869)
Acting		19 April 184729 May 184740 daysQueen Victoria
9 The Viscount Torrington
(1812–1884)		29 May 184718 October 18503 years, 142 daysQueen Victoria
Charles Justin MacCarthy
(1811–1864)
Acting		18 October 185027 November 185040 daysQueen Victoria
10George William Anderson
(1791–1857)		27 November 185018 January 18554 years, 52 daysQueen Victoria
Charles Justin MacCarthy
(1811–1864)
Acting		18 January 185511 May 1855113 daysQueen Victoria
11 Henry George Ward
(1797–1860)		11 May 185530 June 18605 years, 50 daysQueen Victoria
Henry Frederick Lockyer
(1797–1860)
Acting		30 June 186030 July 186030 daysQueen Victoria
Charles Edmund Wilkinson
(1807–1870)
Acting		30 July 186022 October 186084 daysQueen Victoria
12Charles Justin MacCarthy
(1811–1864)		22 October 18601 December 18633 years, 40 daysQueen Victoria
Terence O'Brien
(1830–1903)
Acting		1 December 186321 March 18651 year, 110 daysQueen Victoria
Hercules Robinson
(1824–1897)
Acting		21 March 186516 May 186556 daysQueen Victoria
13 Hercules Robinson
(1824–1897)		16 May 18654 January 18726 years, 233 daysQueen Victoria
Henry Turner Irving
(1833–1923)
Acting		4 January 18724 March 187260 daysQueen Victoria
14 William Henry Gregory
(1817–1892)		4 March 18724 September 18775 years, 184 daysQueen Victoria
15 James Robert Longden
(1827–1891)		4 September 187710 July 18835 years, 309 daysQueen Victoria
John Douglas
(1835–1885)
Acting		10 July 18833 December 1883146 daysQueen Victoria
16 Arthur Hamilton-Gordon
(1829–1912)		3 December 188328 May 18906 years, 176 daysQueen Victoria
17 Arthur Elibank Havelock
(1844–1908)		28 May 189024 October 18955 years, 149 daysQueen Victoria
Edward Noël Walker
(1842–1908)
Acting		24 October 189510 February 1896109 daysQueen Victoria
18 Joseph West Ridgeway
(1844–1930)		10 February 189619 November 19037 years, 282 daysQueen Victoria
Edward VII
Sir Everard im Thurn
(1852–1932)
Acting		19 November 19033 December 190314 daysEdward VII
19 Henry Arthur Blake
(1840–1918)		3 December 190311 July 19073 years, 220 daysEdward VII
Hugh Clifford
(1866–1941)
Acting		11 July 190724 August 190744 daysEdward VII
20 Henry Edward McCallum
(1852–1919)		24 August 190724 January 19135 years, 153 daysEdward VII
George V
Reginald Edward Stubbs
(1876–1947)
Acting		24 January 191318 October 1913267 daysGeorge V
21 Robert Chalmers
(1858–1938)		18 October 19134 December 19152 years, 47 daysGeorge V
Reginald Edward Stubbs
(1876–1947)
Acting		4 December 191515 April 1916133 daysGeorge V
22 John Anderson
(1858–1918)		15 April 191624 March 1918 †1 year, 343 daysGeorge V
Reginald Edward Stubbs
(1876–1947)
Acting		24 March 191810 September 1918170 daysGeorge V
23 William Henry Manning
(1863–1932)		10 September 19181 April 19256 years, 203 daysGeorge V
Cecil Clementi
(1875–1947)
Acting		1 April 192518 October 1925200 daysGeorge V
Edward Bruce Alexander
(1872–1955)
Acting		18 October 192530 November 192543 daysGeorge V
24 Hugh Clifford
(1866–1941)		30 November 1925June 19271 year, 6 monthsGeorge V
Arthur George Murchison Fletcher
(1878–1954)
Acting		June 192720 August 19281 year, 2 monthsGeorge V
25 Herbert Stanley
(1872–1955)		20 August 192811 February 19312 years, 175 daysGeorge V
Bernard Henry Bourdillon
(1883–1948)
Acting		11 February 193111 April 193159 daysGeorge V
26Graeme Thomson
(1875–1933)		11 April 193120 September 19332 years, 162 daysGeorge V
Graeme Tyrrell
(1876–1964)
Acting		20 September 193323 December 193394 daysGeorge V
27 Reginald Edward Stubbs
(1876–1947)		23 December 193330 June 19373 years, 189 daysGeorge V
Edward VIII
George VI
Maxwell MacLagan Wedderburn
(1883–1953)
Acting		30 June 193716 October 1937108 daysGeorge VI
28 Andrew Caldecott
(1884–1951)		16 October 193719 September 19446 years, 339 daysGeorge VI
29Henry Monck-Mason Moore
(1887–1964)		19 September 19444 February 19483 years, 138 daysGeorge VI

See also

References

Specific
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