The following is a list of the governors and lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia. Though the present day office of the lieutenant governor in Nova Scotia came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the post is a continuation from the first governorship of Nova Scotia in 1710. For much of the time, the full title of the post was Governor of Nova Scotia and Placentia (Placentia, Newfoundland). Before the British occupation of Nova Scotia, the province was governed by French Governors of Acadia. From 1784 to 1829 Cape Breton Island was a separate colony with a vice regal post.
Governors of Nova Scotia, 1710–1786
| # |
Image |
Name |
Governor from |
Governor until |
| Governors under Anne (1710–1714): |
| 1. |
 |
Samuel Vetch |
1710 |
1712 |
| 2. |
 |
Francis Nicholson |
1712 |
→ |
| Governors under George I (1714–1727): |
| 2. |
|
Francis Nicholson (continued) |
← |
1715 |
| 3. |
|
Samuel Vetch (second appointment) |
1715 |
→ |
|
 |
Thomas Caulfeild (acting governor) |
1715 |
1717 |
| 3. |
|
Samuel Vetch (cont.) |
← |
1717 |
| 4. |
 |
Richard Philipps |
1717 |
→ |
|
|
John Doucett (acting governor) |
1717 |
1725 |
|
|
Lawrence Armstrong (acting governor) |
1725 |
→ |
| Governors under George II (1727–1760): |
|
|
Lawrence Armstrong (continued) |
← |
1739 |
|
|
Alexander Cosby (acting governor) |
1739 |
1740 |
|
 |
Paul Mascarene (acting governor) |
1740 |
1749 |
| 4. |
|
Richard Philipps (continued) |
← |
1749 |
| 5. |
 |
Edward Cornwallis |
1749 |
1752 |
| 6. |
|
Peregrine Hopson |
1752 |
→ |
|
 |
Charles Lawrence (acting governor) |
1753 |
1755 |
| 6. |
|
Peregrine Hopson (continued) |
← |
1755 |
| 7. |
|
Charles Lawrence (ordinary governor) |
1756 |
1760 |
| 8. |
 |
Lt. Gov. Jonathan Belcher (For Gov. Henry Ellis) |
1760 |
→ |
| Governors under George III (1760–1786): |
| 8. |
|
Lt. Gov. Jonathan Belcher (continued) (For Gov. Henry Ellis) |
← |
1763 |
| 9. |
 |
Montague Wilmot |
1763 |
1766 |
| 10. |
 |
Lord William Campbell |
1766 |
→ |
|
 |
Benjamin Green (acting governor) |
1766 |
|
 |
Michael Francklin (acting governor) |
1766 |
| 10. |
|
Lord William Campbell (continued) |
← |
→ |
|
|
Michael Francklin (acting governor, second time) |
1767 |
1768 |
| 10. |
|
Lord William Campbell (continued) |
← |
→ |
|
|
Benjamin Green (acting governor, second time) |
1771 |
1772 |
|
|
Michael Francklin (acting governor, third time) |
1772 |
| 10. |
|
Lord William Campbell (continued) |
→ |
1773 |
| 11. |
 |
Francis Legge |
1773 |
1776 |
| 12. |
 |
Mariot Arbuthnot |
1776 |
1778 |
| 13. |
|
Sir Richard Hughes Bt |
1778 |
1781 |
| 14. |
 |
Sir Andrew Snape Hamond |
1781 |
1782 |
| 15. |
 |
John Parr |
1782 |
1783 |
| 16. |
 |
Edmund Fanning |
1783 |
1786 |
Lieutenant governors of Cape Breton Island, 1784–1820
| # |
Image |
Name |
Governor from |
Governor until |
| Governors under George III (1784–1820): |
| 1. |
 |
Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres |
1784 |
1787 |
| 2. |
 |
William Macarmick |
1787 |
1815 |
| 3. |
|
David Mathews (acting) |
1795 |
1798 |
| 4. |
 |
James Ogilvie (acting) |
1798 |
1799 |
| 5. |
|
John Murray (acting) |
1799 |
1801 |
| 6. |
|
John Despard (acting) |
1800 |
1807 |
| 7. |
|
Nicholas Nepean (acting) |
1807 |
1812 |
| 8. |
|
Hugh Swayne (acting) |
1813 |
1816 |
| 9. |
 |
George Robert Ainslie |
1815 |
1820 |
Lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia, 1786–1867
| # |
Image |
Name |
Governor from |
Governor until |
| Governors under George III (1786–1820): |
| 15. |
|
John Parr |
1786 |
1791 |
| 17. |
 |
Richard Bulkeley |
1791 |
1792 |
| 18. |
 |
Sir John Wentworth |
1792 |
1808 |
| 19. |
 |
Sir George Prévost Bt |
1808 |
→ |
|
 |
Alexander Croke (acting governor) |
1811 |
| 19. |
|
Sir George Prévost Bt (continued) |
← |
1811 |
| 20. |
 |
Sir John Coape Sherbrooke |
1811 |
1816 |
| 21. |
 |
George Stracey Smyth |
1816 |
| 22. |
 |
The Earl of Dalhousie GCB |
1816 |
→ |
| Governors under George IV (1820–1830): |
| 22. |
|
The Earl of Dalhousie GCB (continued) |
← |
1820 |
| 23. |
 |
Sir James Kempt GCB |
1820 |
→ |
|
|
Thomas Nickleson Jeffery (acting governor) |
1828 |
| 23. |
|
Sir James Kempt GCB (continued) |
← |
1828 |
| 24. |
 |
Sir Peregrine Maitland KCB |
1828 |
→ |
| Governors under William IV (1830–1837): |
| 24. |
|
Sir Peregrine Maitland KCB (continued) |
← |
→ |
|
|
Thomas Nickleson Jeffery (acting governor, second time) |
1834 |
| 24. |
|
Sir Peregrine Maitland KCB (continued) |
← |
1834 |
| 25. |
 |
Sir Colin Campbell KCB |
1834 |
→ |
| Governors under Queen Victoria (1837–1867): |
| 25. |
|
Sir Colin Campbell KCB (continued) |
← |
1840 |
| 26. |
 |
The Viscount Falkland PC GCH |
1840 |
→ |
|
|
Sir Jeremiah Dickson (acting governor) |
1846 |
| 26. |
|
The Viscount Falkland PC GCH (continued) |
← |
1846 |
| 27. |
 |
Sir John Harvey KCH |
1846 |
→ |
|
|
John Bazalgette (acting governor) |
1851 |
| 27. |
|
Sir John Harvey KCH (continued) |
← |
1852 |
| 28. |
 |
Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant GCMG KCB |
1852 |
1858 |
| 29. |
 |
The Earl of Mulgrave |
1858 |
1863 |
| 30. |
 |
Charles Hastings Doyle |
1863 |
1864 |
| 31. |
 |
Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell CB |
1864 |
1865 |
| 30. |
|
Charles Hastings Doyle (second time) |
1865 |
| 32. |
 |
Sir William Fenwick Williams Bt |
1865 |
1867 |
Lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia, 1867–present
| # |
Image |
Name |
Governor from |
Governor until |
| Governors under Queen Victoria (1867–1901): |
| 32. |
|
Sir William Fenwick Williams Bt (continued) |
1867 |
1867 |
| 30. |
|
Charles Hastings Doyle (third time) |
1867 |
1873 |
| 33. |
 |
Joseph Howe PC |
1873 |
| 34. |
 |
Sir Adams George Archibald PC KCMG |
1873 |
1883 |
| 35. |
 |
Matthew Henry Richey |
1883 |
1888 |
| 36. |
 |
Archibald McLelan PC |
1888 |
1890 |
| Admin. |
 |
Sir James McDonald |
1890 |
| 37. |
 |
Malachy Bowes Daly |
1890 |
1900 |
| 38. |
 |
Alfred Gilpin Jones PC |
1900 |
→ |
| Governors under Edward VII (1901–1910): |
| 38. |
|
Alfred Gilpin Jones PC (continued) |
← |
1906 |
| Admin. |
|
Robert Linton Weatherbe |
1906 |
| 39. |
 |
Duncan Cameron Fraser |
1906 |
→ |
| Governors under George V (1910–1936): |
| 39. |
|
Duncan Cameron Fraser (continued) |
← |
1910 |
| Admin. |
|
Sir Charles James Townshend |
1910 |
| 40. |
 |
James Drummond McGregor |
1910 |
1915 |
| 41. |
 |
David MacKeen |
1915 |
1916 |
| Admin. |
|
Wallace Nesbit Graham |
1916 |
| 42. |
 |
MacCallum Grant |
1916 |
1925 |
| 43. |
 |
James Robson Douglas |
1925 |
| 44. |
 |
James Cranswick Tory |
1925 |
1930 |
| 45. |
|
Frank Stanfield |
1930 |
1931 |
| Admin. |
 |
Sir Joseph Andrew Chisholm |
1931 |
| 46. |
|
Walter Harold Covert |
1931 |
→ |
| Governors under Edward VIII (1936): |
| 46. |
|
Walter Harold Covert (continued) |
← |
→ |
| Governors under George VI (1936–1952): |
| 46. |
|
Walter Harold Covert (continued) |
← |
1937 |
| 47. |
|
Robert Irwin |
1937 |
1940 |
| 48. |
|
Frederick Francis Mathers |
1940 |
1942 |
| 49. |
|
Henry Ernest Kendall |
1942 |
1947 |
| 50. |
 |
John Alexander Douglas McCurdy |
1947 |
→ |
| Governors under Elizabeth II (1952–2022): |
| 50. |
|
John Alexander Douglas McCurdy (continued) |
← |
1952 |
| 51. |
|
Alistair Fraser |
1952 |
1958 |
| 52. |
|
Edward Chester Plow CBE DSO CD |
1958 |
1963 |
| 53. |
|
Henry Poole MacKeen OC |
1963 |
1968 |
| 54. |
|
Victor de Bedia Oland OC CD ED |
1968 |
1973 |
| 55. |
|
Clarence Gosse OC |
1973 |
1978 |
| 56. |
|
John Elvin Shaffner |
1978 |
1984 |
| 57 |
|
Alan Abraham CM ONS CD |
1984 |
1989 |
| 58. |
|
Lloyd Crouse PC ONS |
1989 |
1994 |
| 59. |
|
James Kinley ONS CD FCAE FEIC |
1994 |
2000 |
| 60. |
|
Myra Freeman CM ONS |
2000 |
2006 |
| 61. |
|
Mayann Francis ONS |
2006 |
2012 |
| 62. |
 |
John James Grant CMM ONS CD |
2012 |
2017 |
| 63. |
 |
Arthur Joseph LeBlanc ONS QC |
2017 |
→ |
| Governors under Charles III (2022–present): |
| 63. |
|
Arthur Joseph LeBlanc ONS KC (continued) |
← |
2024 |
| 64. |
|
Michael Savage |
2024 |
Incumbent |
See also
- Office-holders of Canada
- Canadian incumbents by year
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