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List of governors of the Straits Settlements facts for kids

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The governor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by the British East India Company until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by the Colonial Office. The position existed from 1826 to 1946. Between 1942 and 1945 the office was not filled, as the Straits Settlements was then under Japanese occupation. From the late 19th century onward, the governor of the Straits Settlements was usually also British High Commissioner in Malaya and Brunei and British Agent for Sarawak and British North Borneo.

List of British governors (1826–1946)

British Straits Settlements
No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Monarch
Took office Left office Duration
1 Robert fullerton.jpg Robert Fullerton
(1773–1831)
27 November 1826 12 November 1830 3 years, 11 months Edinburgh, Scotland Second Member of Council,
and President of the Board of Trade
George IV 1821 color.jpg
George IV
William IV crop.jpg
William IV
2 Robert Ibbetson.jpg Robert Ibbetson
(1789–1880)
12 November 1830 7 December 1833 3 years, 25 days England Resident Councillor
of Prince of Wales Island
3 Kenneth Murchison
(1794–1854)
7 December 1833 17 November 1836 2 years, 11 months Scotland Resident Councillor
of Straits Settlements
4 Sir samuel george bonham.gif Sir Samuel George Bonham
(1803–1863)
18 November 1836 January 1843 ~ 6 years, 1 month Kent, England Resident Councillor
of Straits Settlements
Queen Victoria by Bassano.jpg
Victoria
British East India Company
5 William John Butterworth.jpg Major General William John Butterworth
(1801–1856)
August 1843 21 March 1855 ~ 11 years, 9 months Unknown Lieutenant-Colonel
of the 38th Madras Regiment
6 Edmund Augustus Blundell
(1804–1868)
21 March 1855 6 August 1859 4 years, 4 months Somerset, England Resident Councillor of Penang
India Office
7 Sir Orfeur Cavenagh.jpg Major General Sir William Orfeur Cavenagh
(1820–1891)
6 August 1859 16 March 1867 7 years, 7 months Kent, England British Indian Army
Colonial Office
8 HarryStGeorgeOrd-1867-1873.jpg Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord
(1819–1885)
16 March 1867 4 March 1871 3 years, 11 months Kent, England Special Commissioner to West Africa
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
1st time Acting
4 March 1871 22 March 1872 1 year and 18 days London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
8 HarryStGeorgeOrd-1867-1873.jpg Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord
(1819–1885)
22 March 1872 3 November 1873 1 year, 7 months Kent, England Colonial administrator
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
2nd time Acting
3 November 1873 4 November 1873 1 day London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
9 Sir Andrew Clarke (1873) by G R Lambert.jpg Sir Andrew Clarke
(1824–1902)
4 November 1873 8 May 1875 1 year, 6 months Hampshire, England Director of Works at the Admiralty
10 William Jervois.jpg Sir William Jervois
(1821–1897)
8 May 1875 3 April 1877 1 year, 10 months Isle of Wight, England Colonel of the Royal Engineers
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
3rd time Acting
3 April 1877 August 1877 ~ 4 months London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
11 Williamrobinson.jpg Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson
(1834–1897)
August 1877 10 February 1879 ~ 1 year, 5 months County Westmeath, Ireland Governor of Western Australia
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
4th time Acting
10 February 1879 16 May 1880 1 year, 3 months London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
12 Frederick Weld.jpg Sir Frederick Weld
(1823–1891)
16 May 1880 17 October 1887 7 years, 5 months Dorset, England Governor of Tasmania
13 Cecil Clementi Smith.jpg Sir Cecil Clementi Smith
(1840–1916)
17 October 1887 30 August 1893 5 years, 10 months London, England Colonial Secretary
of Straits Settlements
Sir-William-Edward-Maxwell-1.jpg William Edward Maxwell
(1846–1897)
Acting
30 August 1893 1 February 1894 5 months and 2 days unknown Colonial Secretary
of Straits Settlements
14 Charles Mitchell.jpg Sir Charles Mitchell
(1836–1899)
Died while in office
1 February 1894 7 December 1899 5 years, 10 months London, England Governor of Natal
James Alexander Swettenham.jpg James Alexander Swettenham
(1846–1933)
Acting
7 December 1899 5 November 1901 1 year, 10 months Derbyshire, England Colonial Secretary
of Straits Settlements
Edward VII in coronation robes.jpg
Edward VII
15 Sir Frank Swettenham by John Singer Sargent 1904.jpg Sir Frank Swettenham
(1850–1946)
5 November 1901 16 April 1904 2 years, 5 months Derbyshire, England Resident-General
of the Federated Malay States
16 Sir john anderson.gif Sir John Anderson
(1858–1918)
16 April 1904 2 September 1911 7 years, 4 months Aberdeenshire, Scotland Colonial administrator
King George 1923 LCCN2014715558 (cropped).jpg
George V
17 Sir Arthur Henderson Young.png Sir Arthur Henderson Young
(1854–1938)
2 September 1911 17 February 1920 8 years, 5 months unknown Resident-General
of the Federated Malay States
18 Sir Laurence Guillemard.png Sir Laurence Guillemard
(1862–1951)
17 February 1920 3 June 1927 7 years, 3 months unknown Colonial administrator
19 Hugh Charles Clifford (The Straits Times, 15 October 1929).jpg Sir Hugh Clifford
(1866–1941)
3 June 1927 21 October 1929 2 years, 4 months London, England Governor of British Ceylon
Sir John Scott
(1878 – 1946)
Acting
21 October 1929 5 February 1930 3 months and 15 days unknown Colonial Secretary
of Straits Settlements
20 SIRCECILCLEMENTIHKU.jpg Sir Cecil Clementi
(1875–1947)
5 February 1930 17 February 1934 4 years and 12 days Cawnpore, British India Governor of Hong Kong
Sir Andrew Caldecott.jpg Sir Andrew Caldecott
(1884–1951)
Acting
17 February 1934 9 November 1934 8 months and 23 days Kent, England Colonial Secretary
of Straits Settlements
Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas.png Sir Shenton Thomas
(1879–1962)
9 November 1934 15 February 1942 7 years, 3 months London, England Governor of the Gold Coast
21
HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg

Edward VIII

King George VI of England, formal photo portrait, circa 1940-1946 - edit.jpg

George VI

Japanese occupation of Singapore
From 15 February 1942 to 12 September 1945.
British Military Administration of the Straits Settlements
From 12 September 1945 to 31 March 1946.
King George VI of England, formal photo portrait, circa 1940-1946 - edit.jpg
George VI
Lord Mountbatten 4 Allan Warren.jpg Lord Louis Mountbatten
(1900–1979)
British High Command
12 September 1945 31 March 1946 6 months and 19 days Berkshire, England Supreme Allied Commander
of the Southeast Asia Theatre
British Straits Settlements
21 Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas.png Sir Shenton Thomas
(1879–1962)
12 September 1945 31 March 1946 6 months and 19 days London, England Colonial administrator
Singapore became a separate Crown Colony

See also

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