List of colonial governors and administrators of British Honduras facts for kids

Have you ever wondered who was in charge of a country before it became independent? In places that were once colonies, like Belize, there were special leaders called 'viceroys'. A viceroy was like a representative of the king or queen from the ruling country. They managed the colony on behalf of the distant ruler.

This article tells you about the important people who governed British Honduras, which is now known as Belize. These leaders were in charge from when the British first settled there until Belize became an independent country in 1981.

For a long time, until 1862, British Honduras was overseen by the Governor of Jamaica. It was managed by a leader called a Superintendent. After 1862, it became its own colony, but still had a Lieutenant Governor who reported to Jamaica. Finally, in 1884, the colony got its very own Governor, who was independent of Jamaica.

In 1973, the colony's name officially changed from British Honduras to Belize. Then, on September 21, 1981, Belize became a fully independent country! If you want to know about the leaders after independence, you can look up the Governor-General of Belize.

Superintendents of British Honduras (1749–1862)

From 1749 to 1862, the British territory in Central America was known as British Honduras. During this time, the main leader was called a Superintendent. These Superintendents reported to the Governor of Jamaica, who was the top British official in the region.

Here are the Superintendents who governed British Honduras:

• Robert Hodgson Sr., 1749–1758
• Richard Jones, 1758–1760
• Joseph Otway, 1760–1767
• Robert Hodgson Jr., 1767–1775
• John Ferguson, 1776
• James Lawrie, 1776 – March 10, 1787
• Edward Despard, 1787 – June 1790
• Lt Gen Peter Hunter (acting), June 1790 – March 1791
• Thomas Potts (chief magistrate), March 1791 – January 1797
• Thomas Barrow, January 1797 – 1800, first time
• Richard Basset, 1800–1802
• Thomas Barrow, January 1803 – 1805, second time
• Gabriel Gordon, 1805–1806
• Alexander Mark Kerr Hamilton, 1806–1809
• John Nugent Smyth, 1809–1814
• Sir George Arthur, 1814–1822
• Allan Hampden Pye, 1822–1823
• Edward Codd, 1823–1829
• Alexander MacDonald, 1829–1830, first time
• Sir Francis Cockburn, 1830–1837
• Alexander MacDonald, 1837–1843, second time
• Charles St. John Fancourt, 1843–1851
• Sir Philip Wodehouse, 1851–1854
• Sir William Stevenson, 1854–1857
• Frederick Seymour, 1857–1862

Lieutenant Governors of British Honduras (1862–1884)

In 1862, British Honduras changed its status and became a 'crown colony'. This meant it was directly controlled by the British Crown. From this point, the territory was led by a Lieutenant Governor. However, these Lieutenant Governors were still under the authority of the Governor of Jamaica.

Here are the Lieutenant Governors who served British Honduras:

• Frederick Seymour, 1862–1864, continued
• John Gardiner Austin, 1864–1867
• Sir James Robert Longden, 1867–1870
• Sir William Wellington Cairns, 1870–1874
• Sir Robert Miller Mundy, 1874–1877
• Sir Frederick Palgrave Barlee, 1877–1883
• Col Sir Robert William Harley, May 13, 1883 – 1884

Governors of British Honduras (1884–1973)

A big change happened in 1884! British Honduras finally became fully independent from Jamaica's control. From this year onwards, the colony had its own Governor, who reported directly to the British government. This was a major step towards self-governance.

Here are the Governors who led British Honduras:

• Sir Roger Tuckfield Goldsworthy, 1884–1891
• Sir Cornelius Alfred Moloney, 1891–1897
• Sir David Wilson, 1897–1904
• Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott, April 15, 1904 – 1906
• Sir Eric John Eagles Swayne, August 13, 1906 – May 9, 1913
• Sir Wilfred Collet May 19, 1913 – January 1918
• William Hart-Bennett, January 29, 1918 – September 4, 1918
• Sir Eyre Hutson, March 22, 1919 – 1925
• Sir John Alder Burdon, April 16, 1925 – 1932
• Sir Harold Baxter Kittermaster, March 9, 1932 – 1934
• Sir Alan Cuthbert Maxwell Burns, November 2, 1934 – 1939
• Sir John Adams Hunter, February 24, 1940 – July 1, 1946
• Sir Arthur Norman Wolffsohn, July 1, 1946 – January 14, 1947, acting
• Sir Edward Gerald Hawkesworth, January 14, 1947 – 1948
• Sir Ronald Herbert Garvey, February 28, 1949 – 1952
• Sir Patrick Muir Renison, October 21, 1952 – 1955
• Sir Colin Hardwick Thornley, January 17, 1956 – 1961
• Sir Peter Hyla Gawne Stallard, December 9, 1961 – 1966
• Sir John Warburton Paul, July 11, 1966 – January 1972
• Sir Richard Neil Posnett, January 26, 1972 – May 31, 1973

Governors of Belize (1973–1981)

On June 1, 1973, the colony of British Honduras was officially renamed Belize. This was another important step on its journey to becoming an independent nation. The leaders continued to be called Governors until independence.

Here are the Governors who served Belize during this final period of colonial rule:

• Sir Richard Neil Posnett, June 1, 1973 – 1976, continued
• Peter Donovan McEntee, June 1, 1976 – 1980
• Sir James Hennessy, 1980 – September 21, 1981

On September 21, 1981, Belize gained full independence from the United Kingdom. For a list of the leaders of Belize after independence, you can visit the article about the Governor-General of Belize.