List of governors of the Gold Coast

This is a list of colonial administrators in the Gold Coast (modern Ghana) from the start of English presence in 1621 until Ghana's independence from the United Kingdom in 1957.

Governors of the Gold Coast (1621–1751)

• Sir William St. John, 1621–1623
• William Greenhill, 1660
• Henry Nurse, 1685
• John Bloome, 1691
• Baggs, 1697–1701
• Thomas Dalby, 1701–1708
• Henry Meredith, died 1812 after being killed by locals. Author of 'An Account of the Gold Coast of Africa: With a Brief History of the African Company.'

He was the governor of Fort Winnebah.

Governors of the Committee of Merchants of the Gold Coast (1751–1822)

• Thomas Melvil, 23 June 1751 – 23 January 1756
• William Tymewell, 23 January 1756 – 17 February 1756
• Charles Bell, 17 February 1756 – 15 October 1757, first time
• Nassau Senior, 15 October 1757 – 10 May 1761, acting
• Charles Bell, 10 May 1761 – 15 August 1763, second timetoday of the day
• William Mutter, 15 August 1763 – 1 March 1766
• John Hippersley, 1 March 1766 – 11 August 1766
• Gilbert Petrie, 11 August 1766 – 21 April 1769
• John Crossle, 21 April 1769 – 11 August 1770
• David Mill, 11 August 1770 – 20 January 1777
• Richard Miles, 20 January 1777 – 25 March 1780, first time
• John Roberts, 25 March 1780 – 20 May 1781
• John B. Weuves, 20 May 1781 – 29 April 1782, acting
• Richard Miles, 29 April 1782 – 29 January 1784, second time
• James Morgue, 29 January 1784 – 24 January 1787
• Thomas Price, 24 January 1787 – 27 April 1787
• Thomas Morris, 27 April 1787 – 20 June 1789
• William Fielde, 20 June 1789 – 15 November 1791
• John Gordon, 15 November 1791 – 31 March 1792, first time
• Archibald Dalzel, 31 March 1792 – 16 December 1798, first time
• Jacob Mould, 16 December 1798 – 4 January 1799, first time
• John Gordon, 4 January 1799 – 28 April 1800, second time
• Archibald Dalzel, 28 April 1800 – 30 September 1802, second time
• Jacob Mould, 30 September 1802 – 8 February 1805, second time
• George Torrane, 8 February 1805 – 4 December 1807
• Edward White, 4 December 1807 – 21 April 1816
• Joseph Dawson, 21 April 1816 – 19 January 1817
• John Hope Smith, 19 January 1817 – 27 March 1822

Governors of the Gold Coast (1822–1828)

• Sir Charles MacCarthy, 27 March 1822 – 17 May 1822, first time
• James Chisholm, 17 May 1822–December 1822, first time
• Sir Charles MacCarthy, December 1822–21 January 1824, second time
• James Chisholm, 21 January 1824 – 17 October 1824, second time
• Edward Purdon, 17 October 1824 – 22 March 1825
• Major-general Sir Charles Turner, 22 March 1825 – 8 March 1826
• Sir Neil Campbell, 18 May 1826 – 15 November 1826
• Major Henry John Ricketts, 15 November 1826 – 11 October 1827, first time
• Hugh Lumley, 11 October 1827 – 10 March 1828
• George Hingston, 10 March 1828 – 5 June 1828
• Major Henry John Ricketts, 5 June 1828 – 25 June 1828, second time

Governors of the Committee of Merchants of the Gold Coast (1828–1843)

• John Jackson, 25 June 1828 – 19 February 1830
• George Maclean, 19 February 1830 – 26 June 1836, first time
• William Topp, 26 June 1836 – 15 August 1838
• George Maclean, 15 August 1838 – 1843, second time

Governors of the Gold Coast (1843–1960)

In 1843 a governor was appointed subordinate to the Governor of Sierra Leone until 1850. After the Ashanti Wars of 1873-74, the Gold Coast was formally declared a crown colony.

• Henry Worsley Hill, 1843–8 March 1845
• James Lelley, 8 March 1845 – 15 April 1846
• William Winniett, 15 April 1846 – 31 January 1849, first time
• James Coleman Fitzpatrick, 31 January 1849 – 13 January 1850
• Sir William Winniett, 13 January 1850 – 4 December 1850, second time
• James Bannerman, 4 December 1850 – 14 October 1851
• Stephen John Hill, 14 October 1851–December 1854
• Henry Connor, December 1854–March 1857, acting
• Sir Benjamin Chilley Campbell Pine, March 1857–April 1858
• Henry Bird, April 1858–20 April 1860, acting
• Edward B. Andrews, 20 April 1860 – 14 April 1862
• William A. Ross, 14 April 1862 – 20 September 1862, acting
• Richard Pine, 20 September 1862 – 1865
• Rokeby Jones, 1865, acting
• W. E. Mockler, 1865, acting
• Edward Conran, April 1865–February 1867
• Herbert Taylor Ussher, February 1867–April 1872, first time
• John Pope Hennessy, April 1872 – 1872
• Charles Spencer Salmon, 1872–September 1872, acting
• Robert William Keate 7 Mar 1873 – 17 Mar 1873
• Robert William Harley, September 1872–2 October 1873
• Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 2 October 1873 – 4 March 1874
• James Maxwell, 4 March 1874 – 30 March 1874, acting
• Charles Lees, 30 March 1874–June 1874, acting, first time
• George Cumine Strahan, June 1874–7 April 1876
• Charles Lees, 7 April 1876–December 1876, acting, second time
• Sanford Freeling, December 1876–13 May 1878, acting to 5 June 1877
• Charles Lees, 13 May 1878–June 1879, acting, third time
• Herbert Taylor Ussher, June 1879–1 December 1880, second time
• William Brandford Griffith, 1 December 1880 – 4 March 1881, acting, first time
• Sir Samuel Rowe, 4 March 1881 – 29 April 1884
• W. A. G. Young, 29 April 1884 – 24 April 1885
• William Brandford Griffith, 24 April 1885 – 7 April 1895, second time
• William Edward Maxwell, 7 April 1895 – 6 December 1897
• Frederick Mitchell Hodgson, 6 December 1897 – 29 August 1900, acting to 29 May 1898
• W. Low, 29 August 1900 – 17 December 1900, acting
• Sir Matthew Nathan, 17 December 1900 – 9 February 1904^[1]
• Herbert Bryan, 9 February 1904 – 3 March 1904, acting, first time
• John Pickersgill Rodger, 3 March 1904 – 1 September 1910
• Herbert Bryan, 1 September 1910 – 20 November 1910, acting, second time
• James Jamieson Thorburn, 21 November 1910 – 29 June 1912
• Herbert Bryan, 29 June 1912 – 26 December 1912, acting, third time
• Sir Hugh Charles Clifford, 26 December 1912 – 1 April 1919
• Alexander Ransford Slater, 1 April 1919 – 8 October 1919, acting, first time
• Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, 9 October 1919 – 24 April 1927
• Sir James Crawford Maxwell, 24 April 1927 – 5 June 1927, acting
• John Maxwell, 5 June 1927–July 1927, acting
• Sir Alexander Ransford Slater, July 1927–5 April 1932, second time
• Geoffrey Northcote, 5 April 1932 – 29 November 1932, acting, first time
• Sir Shenton Thomas, 30 November 1932 – 13 May 1934
• Geoffrey Northcote, 13 May 1934 – 23 October 1934, acting, second time
• Sir Arnold Weinholt Hodson, 24 October 1934 – 24 October 1941
• George Ernest London, 24 October 1941 – 29 June 1942, acting
• Sir Alan Cuthbert Maxwell Burns, 29 June 1942 – 2 August 1947
• Sir Gerald Hallen Creasy, 12 January 1948 – 15 February 1949
• Sir Robert Scott, 15 February 1949 – 28 March 1949, acting, first time
• Thorleif Rattray Orde Mangin, 28 March 1949 – 11 June 1949, acting
• Sir Robert Scott, 11 June 1949 – 11 August 1949, acting, second time
• Sir Charles Noble Arden-Clarke, 11 August 1949 – 6 March 1957
• Lord Listowell, March 1957 - July 1960

In 1957, the Gold Coast and British Togoland, became the independent country of Ghana. The viceroy in the new country was the Governor-General of Ghana.

See also

• History of Ghana
• List of heads of state of Ghana
• List of Ghana governments
• List of colonial heads of Sierra Leone
• Lists of incumbents

References

1. The London Gazette: no. 27245. p. 6854. 9 November 1900.

• http://www.rulers.org/rulg1.html#ghana
• http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Ghana.html
• http://www.britishempire.co.uk/maproom/goldcoast/goldcoastadmin.htm