List of colonial heads of The Gambia

This is a list of colonial administrators in The Gambia from when Fort James was created by the United Kingdom in 1815 until The Gambia's independence in 1965.

Commandants of Fort James (1815–1829)

• Alexander Grant, 1815–1821

Lieutenant Governors of The Gambia (1829–1843)

In 1821, The Gambia became a British colony. A lieutenant governor was appointed in 1829. They reported to the Governor of Sierra Leone.

• Alexander Findlay, 1829–1830
• George Rendall, 1830–1837
• Thomas Lewis Ingram, 1837–1838, first time
• William Mackie, 1838–1839
• Thomas Lewis Ingram, 1839–1840, second time
• Sir Henry Vere Huntley, 1840–1841
• Thomas Lewis Ingram, 1841–1843, third time

Governors of The Gambia (1843–1866)

Between 1843 and 1866, a governor was appointed who was independent of the Governor of Sierra Leone.

• Henry Froude Seagram, 1843
• Edmund Norcott, 1843–1844
• Charles Fitzgerald, 1844–1847
• Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell, 1847–1851
• Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy, 1851–1852
• Luke Smythe O'Connor, 1852–1859
• George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy, 1859–1866

Administrators of The Gambia (1866–1901)

In 1866 the job of governor was replaced with that of an administrator who reported to the Governor of Sierra Leone.

• Charles George Edward Patey, 1866–1869
• Alexander Bravo, 1869–1871
• Jeremiah Thomas Fitzgerald Callaghan, 1871–1873
• Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright, 1873–1875
• Sir Samuel Rowe, 1875–1877
• Valerius Skipton Gouldsbury, 1877–1884
• Sir Cornelius Alfred Moloney, 1884–1886
• Sir James Shaw Hay, 1886–1888
• Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter, 1888–1891
• Sir Robert Baxter Llewelyn, 1891–1900
• Sir George Chardin Denton, 1900–11 January 1901

Governors of The Gambia (1901–1965)

In 1901, an independent governor was again created.

• Sir George Chardin Denton, 11 January 1901–21 December 1911, continued
• Henry Lionel Galway, 21 December 1911–11 April 1914
• Edward John Cameron, 11 April 1914–1918
• Herbert Henniker, 1918–1919, acting, first time
• Sir Edward John Cameron, 1919–1920, continued
• Herbert Henniker, 1920–3 January 1921, acting, second time
• Sir Cecil Hamilton Armitage, 3 January 1921–10 March 1927
• Sir John Middleton, 10 March 1927–29 November 1928
• Sir Edward Brandis Denham, 29 November 1928–11 September 1930
• Sir Herbert Richmond Palmer, 11 September 1930–12 April 1934
• Sir Arthur Frederick Richards, 12 April 1934–22 October 1936
• Sir Thomas Southorn, 22 October 1936–23 March 1942
• Hilary Rudolph Robert Blood, 23 March 1942–29 March 1947
• Andrew Barkworth Wright, 29 March 1947–December 1949
• Percy Wyn-Harris, December 1949–19 June 1958
• Sir Edward Henry Windley, 19 June 1958–29 March 1962
• Sir John Warburton Paul, 29 March 1962–18 February 1965

In 1965, The Gambia achieved independence from the United Kingdom. After independence, the viceroy in The Gambia was the Governor-General of the Gambia.

References

• Rulers: The Gambia
• Guinness Book of Kings, Rulers & Statesmen, Clive Carpenter, Guinness Superlatives Ltd
• African States and Rulers, John Stewart, McFarland