Governors of British Ceylon

Governor of Ceylon
Flag of Governor of Ceylon
Frederick North
Style	His/Her Excellency
Residence	Government House
Appointer	Monarch of the United Kingdom
Precursor	Governor of Zeylan
Formation	Aug 1795
First holder	Patrick Alexander Agnew as Military Governor
Final holder	Henry Monck-Mason Moore
Abolished	4 February 1948
Succession	Governor-General of Ceylon

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.

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 extend 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.

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

Main articles: Executive Council of Ceylon and Legislative Council of Ceylon

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 office of the Governor, was housed in 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

#	Portrait	Name	Birth	Death	Governor From	Governor Until	Sovereign
Military Governors (1795–1798)
1		Patrick Alexander Agnew (in Trincomalee)	1765	1813	August 1795	1 March 1796	George III
2		James Stuart	1741	1815	1 March 1796	1 January 1797	George III
3		Welbore Ellis Doyle	1758	1797	1 January 1797	2 July 1797	George III
4		Peter Bonnevaux	c.1752	1797	2 July 1797	12 July 1797	George III
5		Pierre Frédéric de Meuron	1788	1813	12 July 1797	12 October 1798	George III
Resident and Superintendent (1796–1798)
1		Robert Andrews	1763	13 November 1821	12 February 1796	12 October 1798	George III
Governors (1798–1948)
1		Frederick North	7 February 1766	14 October 1827	12 October 1798	19 July 1805	George III
2		Thomas Maitland	10 March 1760	17 January 1824	19 July 1805	19 March 1811	George III
		John Wilson	1780	1856	19 March 1811	11 March 1812	George III
3		Robert Brownrigg	1759	27 April 1833	11 March 1812	1 February 1820	George III
		Edward Barnes	1776	19 March 1838	1 February 1820	2 February 1822	George III George IV
4		Edward Paget	3 November 1775	13 May 1849	2 February 1822	6 November 1822	George IV
		James Campbell	-	-	6 November 1822	18 January 1824	George IV
5		Edward Barnes	1776	19 March 1838	18 January 1824	13 October 1831	George IV William IV
		John Wilson	1780	1856	13 October 1831	23 October 1831	William IV
6		Robert Wilmot-Horton	21 December 1784	31 May 1841	23 October 1831	7 November 1837	William IV Queen Victoria
7		James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie	23 September 1784	24 September 1843	7 November 1837	15 April 1841	Queen Victoria
8		Colin Campbell	1776	13 June 1847	15 April 1841	19 April 1847	Queen Victoria
		James Emerson Tennent	7 April 1804	6 March 1869	19 April 1847	29 May 1847	Queen Victoria
9		The Viscount Torrington	9 September 1812	27 April 1884	29 May 1847	18 October 1850	Queen Victoria
		Charles Justin MacCarthy	1811	1864	18 October 1850	27 November 1850	Queen Victoria
10		George William Anderson	1791	12 March 1857	27 November 1850	18 January 1855	Queen Victoria
		Charles Justin MacCarthy	1811	1864	18 January 1855	11 May 1855	Queen Victoria
11		Henry George Ward	27 February 1797	2 August 1860	11 May 1855	30 June 1860	Queen Victoria
		Henry Frederick Lockyer	1797	30 August 1860	30 June 1860	30 July 1860	Queen Victoria
		Charles Edmund Wilkinson	1807	1870	30 July 1860	22 October 186	Queen Victoria
12		Charles Justin MacCarthy	1811	1864	22 October 1860	1 December 1863	Queen Victoria
		Terence O'Brien	23 April 1830	28 February 1903	1 December 1863	21 March 1865	Queen Victoria
		Hercules Robinson	19 December 1824	28 October 1897	21 March 1865	16 May 1865	Queen Victoria
13		Hercules Robinson	19 December 1824	28 October 1897	16 May 1865	4 January 1872	Queen Victoria
		Henry Turner Irving	1833	1923	4 January 1872	4 March 1872	Queen Victoria
14		William Henry Gregory	12 July 1817	6 March 1892	4 March 1872	4 September 1877	Queen Victoria
15		James Robert Longden	7 July 1827	9 October 1891	4 September 1877	10 July 1883	Queen Victoria
		John Douglas	5 December 1835	23 August 1885	10 July 1883	3 December 1883	Queen Victoria
16		Arthur Hamilton-Gordon	26 November 1829	30 January 1912	3 December 1883	28 May 1890	Queen Victoria
17		Arthur Elibank Havelock	21 February 1844	25 June 1908	28 May 1890	24 October 1895	Queen Victoria
		Edward Noël Walker	1842	1908	24 October 1895	10 February 1896	Queen Victoria
18		Joseph West Ridgeway	16 May 1844	16 April 1930	10 February 1896	19 November 1903	Queen Victoria Edward VII
		Sir Everard im Thurn	9 May 1852	9 October 1932	19 November 1903	3 December 1903	Edward VII
19		Henry Arthur Blake	8 January 1840	13 February 1918	3 December 1903	11 July 1907	Edward VII
		Hugh Clifford	5 March 1866	18 December 1941	11 July 1907	24 August 1907	Edward VII
20		Henry Edward McCallum	28 October 1852	24 November 1919	24 August 1907	24 January 1913	Edward VII George V
		Reginald Edward Stubbs	13 October 1876	7 December 1947	24 January 1913	18 October 1913	George V
21		Robert Chalmers	18 August 1858	17 November 1938		4 December 1915	George V
		Reginald Edward Stubbs	13 October 1876	7 December 1947	4 December 1915	15 April 1916	George V
22		John Anderson	23 June 1858	24 March 1918	15 April 1916	24 March 1918	George V
		Reginald Edward Stubbs	13 October 1876	7 December 1947	24 March 1918	10 September 1918	George V
23		William Henry Manning	19 July 1863	1 January 1932	10 September 1918	1 April 1925	George V
		Cecil Clementi	1 September 1875	5 April 1947	1 April 1925	18 October 1925	George V
		Edward Bruce Alexander	3 March 1872	21 March 1955	18 October 1925	30 November 1925	George V
24		Hugh Clifford	5 March 1866	18 December 1941	30 November 1925	June 1927	George V
		Arthur George Murchison Fletcher	27 September 1878	9 April 1954	June 1927	20 August 1928	George V
25		Herbert Stanley	25 July 1872	5 June 1955	20 August 1928	11 February 1931	George V
		Bernard Henry Bourdillon	3 December 1883	6 February 1948	11 February 1931	11 April 1931	George V
26		Graeme Thomson	9 August 1875	28 September 1933	11 April 1931	20 September 1933	George V
		Graeme Tyrrell	1876	1964	20 September 1933	23 December 1933	George V
27		Reginald Edward Stubbs	13 October 1876	7 December 1947	23 December 1933	30 June 1937	George V Edward VIII George VI
		Maxwell MacLagan Wedderburn	25 March 1883	30 June 1953	30 June 1937	16 October 1937	George VI
28		Andrew Caldecott	26 October 1884	14 July 1951	16 October 1937	19 September 1944	George VI
29		Henry Monck-Mason Moore	18 March 1887	26 March 1964	19 September 1944	4 February 1948	George VI

See also

• Dutch governors of Zeylan
• Governor-General of Ceylon
• History of Sri Lanka

References

• Governors of Ceylon
• CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, Ministry Constitutional Change and National Integration

Specific