List of governors of Barbados facts for kids

Flag of the governor of Barbados (1870–1966)

This article shares a list of important leaders in Barbados. These leaders were called "viceroys" or "governors." They represented the King or Queen of England. Barbados was first settled by England in 1627. It became an independent country in 1966.

From 1833 to 1885, Barbados was part of a bigger group of islands. This group was called the Windward Islands. During this time, the governor of Barbados was also the leader for all the Windward Islands. In 1885, Barbados became a separate colony again. It had its own governor once more.

Early Governors of Barbados (1627–1833)

This section lists the governors who led Barbados from when England first settled it until 1833. During this time, Barbados was a single colony.

• Henry Powell, 17 February 1627 – 1628
• William Deane, 1628 – June 1628
• Charles Wolferstone, June 1628 – 26 February 1629
• John Powell, 26 February 1629 – 29 August 1629
• Robert Wheatley, 29 August 1629 – September 1629, acting
• Sir William Tufton, 21 December 1629 – 16 July 1630
• Henry Hawley, 1630 – June 1640
  • Richard Peers, 1633–1634, acting for Hawley
  • William Hawley, 1638–1639, acting for Henry Hawley
• Sir Henry Huncks, June 1640 – 1641
• Philip Bell, 1641–1650
• Francis Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby of Parham, May 1650 – 1651, in dissidence to January 1652
• Sir George Ayscue, October 1651 – 1652
• Daniel Searle, 1652 – July 1660, acting
• Thomas Modyford, July 1660–1660, acting
• Humphrey Walrond, 1660 – August 1663, acting
• Francis Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby of Parham, August 1663 – 23 July 1666, restored
  • Henry Willoughby, 1664, acting for the Lord Willoughby of Parham
• Henry Willoughby, July 1666–1667, acting, second time
• William Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby of Parham, 1667, acting
• Samuel Barwick, 1667, acting
• Henry Hawley, 1667 – April 1667, acting, second time
• William Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby of Parham, April 1667 – 1673
  • Christopher Codrington, 1668–1669, acting for Lord Willoughby of Parham
• Sir Peter Colleton, 1673–1674, acting
• Sir Jonathan Atkins, 1674–1679
• Sir John Witham, 1680–1683, acting
• Sir Richard Dutton, 1683–1685
• Edwyn Stede, 1685–1690, acting
• James Kendall, 1690–1694
• Francis Russell, 1694–1696
• Francis Bond, 1696 – December 1697, acting
• Ralph Grey, December 1697 – 1701
• John Farmer, 1701–1703, acting
• Sir Bevil Granville, 1703–1706
• Mitford Crowe, 1707–1710
• George Lillington, 1710–1711, acting
• Robert Lowther, 1711–1720
  • William Sharpe, January 1714–1715, acting for Lowther
• John Frere, 1720–1721, acting
• Samuel Cox, 1721–1722, acting
• Henry Worsley, 1722–1727
• Thomas Catesby Paget, 1727–1731
• James Dotin, 1731, acting, first time
• Walter Chetwynd, 1731–1732
• The Viscount Howe, 1733–29 March 1735
• James Dotin, 1735–1737, acting, second time
• Orlando Bridgeman, 1737–1738
• Humphrey Howarth, 1738
• The Viscount Gage, 1738–1739
• Robert Byng, May 1739 – 1740
• James Dotin, 1740, acting, third time
• Sir Thomas Robinson, 1742–1747
• Henry Grenville, 1747–1756
• Charles Pinfold, 1756–1766
• Samuel Rous, 1766–1768, acting, first time
• William Spry, 1768–1772
• Samuel Rous, 1772, acting, second time
• Edward Hay, 1772–1779
• John Dotin, 1779–1780, acting, first time
• James Cunninghame, 1780–1782
• John Dotin, 1783–1784, acting, second time
• David Parry, 1784–1793
• William Bishop, 1793–1794, acting, first time
• George Poyntz Ricketts, 1794–1800
• William Bishop, 1800–1801, acting, second time
• Francis Humberstone Mackenzie, 1802–1806
• John Spooner, 1806–1810, acting
• Sir George Beckwith, 1810–1815
• Sir James Leith, 10 May 1815 – 16 October 1816
• John Foster Alleyne, 1817, acting
• The Lord Combermere, 1817–1820
• John Brathwaite Skeete, 1820, acting
• Samuel Hinds, 1821, acting
• Sir Henry Warde, 1821–1829
• Sir James Frederick Lyon, 1829–1833

Governors of Barbados and the Windward Islands (1833–1885)

In 1833, Barbados became part of a new, larger colony. This was called the Windward Islands. The Governor of Barbados then became the main leader for all these islands.

• Sir Lionel Smith, 1833–1836
• Sir Evan John Murray MacGregor, 1836–1841
• Charles Henry Darling, 1841
• Sir Charles Edward Grey, 1841–1846
• William Reid, 1846–1848
• William MacBean George Colebrooke, 1848–1856
• Francis Hincks, 1856–4 January 1862
• James Walker, 4 January 1862 – 1868
• Rawson William Rawson, 1868–1875
• Sanford Freeling, 1875, acting
• Sir John Pope Hennessy, 1875–1876
• George Cumine Strahan, 1876–1880
• D. J. Gamble, 1880, acting
• William Robinson, 1880–1885

Governors of Barbados (1885–1966)

In 1885, Barbados stopped being in charge of the Windward Islands. A new, separate Governor was put in place for the Windward Islands in Grenada. Barbados once again had its own governor, just for Barbados.

• Sir Charles Cameron Lees, 1885–1889
• Sir Walter Joseph Sendall, 1889–1891
• Sir James Shaw Hay, 1891–1900
• Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson, November 1900 – 1904
• Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter, 14 October 1904 – 1911
• Sir Leslie Probyn, 13 February 1911 – 1918
• Sir Charles Richard Mackey O'Brien, 27 September 1918 – 1925
• Sir William Charles Fleming Robertson, 31 December 1925 – 21 January 1933
• Harry Scott Newlands, 21 January 1933 – 12 March 1933
• Sir Mark Aitchison Young, 5 August 1933 – March 1938
• Sir Eubule John Waddington, 6 August 1938 – 1941
• Sir Henry Grattan Bushe, 23 October 1941 – 1947
• Sir Hilary Rudolph Robert Blood, 5 February 1947 – 1949
• Sir Alfred Savage, 1 November 1949 – 1953
• Brigadier Sir Robert Arundell, 14 May 1953 – 1959
• Sir John Montague Stow, 8 October 1959 – 29 November 1966

Barbados became a fully independent country from the United Kingdom on November 30, 1966. To learn about the leaders in Barbados after it became independent, see Governor-General of Barbados.

See also

• List of colonial secretaries of Barbados
• List of governors of the Windward Islands
• Governor-General of the West Indies Federation