List of colonial governors of the Dutch Gold Coast facts for kids

The Dutch Gold Coast was a part of West Africa that was controlled by the Netherlands for a long time, from 1598 to 1872. During this period, different leaders were in charge of the Dutch government there. These leaders were called by various titles over the years:

• 1675–1798: Director-General (in Dutch: directeur-generaal)
• 1798–1810: Governor-General (Dutch: gouverneur-generaal)
• 1810–1815: Commandant-General (Dutch: commandant-generaal)
• 1815–1819: Governor-General (Dutch: gouverneur-generaal)
• 1819–1838: Commander (Dutch: kommandeur)
• 1838–1872: Governor (Dutch: gouverneur)

Leaders of the Dutch Gold Coast

This list shows the different people who led the Dutch colony on the Gold Coast. Sometimes, a person might have continued in their role even if their official title changed, or they might have been acting as a leader without the full title. Dates written in italics mean they were in charge in practice, even if not officially.

Early Dutch Control (1612–1621)

Before the Dutch West India Company was officially started on June 3, 1621, Dutch traders were directly overseen by the Dutch government. At first, the traders managed their own business. But after Fort Nassau was built in Mouri in 1612, a general was appointed to manage the new colony.

Dutch West India Company Period (1621–1791)

Director-General Jan Valkenburgh (1656–1659; 1662–1667).

Director-General Dirck Wilre (1662; 1668–1674).

Director-General Jan Pranger (1730–1734).

Director-General Jan van Voorst (1747-1754).

Director-General Lambert Jacob van Tets (1758).

Many lists exist for the Director-Generals who worked for the Dutch West India Company on the Gold Coast. Some of these lists have small differences in names and dates. The most accurate information is available for the 1700s. This is because a historian named Harvey Feinberg created a list based on daily records kept at the Nationaal Archief (National Archives).

Direct Dutch Control (1792–1872)

The Dutch West India Company was closed down in 1791. Its colonies, including the Gold Coast, then came under the direct control of the Dutch government, starting January 1, 1792. Jacobus de Veer, who was the last Director-General for the Company, became the first under the new direct government.

The Dutch government changed forms several times (from the Dutch Republic to the Batavian Republic and then the Kingdom of Holland). However, the colony on the Gold Coast was never taken over by France or Great Britain during this time. Dutch rule continued under the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was formed in 1815. This lasted until the Dutch gave their possessions on the Gold Coast to the United Kingdom in 1872.

     This color means the person was an acting governor, meaning they were temporarily in charge.

Title	Portrait	Name	Time in office
			Started	Left
Director-General		Jacobus Adriaan de Veer	1 January 1792	5 May 1794
–		Lieve van Bergen van der Grijp	5 May 1794	10 January 1795
Governor		Otto Arnoldus Duim	10 January 1795	2 June 1796
–		Lieve van Bergen van der Grijp	2 June 1796	21 August 1796
Director-General		Gerhardus Hubertus van Hamel	21 August 1796	1 May 1798
Governor-General		Cornelius Ludwich Bartels Became Governor-General on August 12, 1801	8 May 1798	28 April 1804
–		Isaac de Roever	28 April 1804	15 June 1805
Governor-General		Pieter Linthorst Acting until August 5, 1805	16 June 1805	21 July 1807
–		Johannes Petrus Hoogenboom	21 July 1807	11 August 1808
–		Jan Frederik König	12 August 1808	5 March 1810
Commandant-General		Abraham de Veer	5 March 1810	11 March 1816
Governor-General		Herman Willem Daendels	11 March 1816	2 May 1818
Commander		Frans Christiaan Eberhard Oldenburg Acting until November 1, 1819	2 May 1818	2 January 1820
–		Johannes Oosthout	10 January 1820	29 August 1821
–		Friedrich Last	31 August 1821	14 February 1822
–		Librecht Jan Temminck	14 February 1822	6 June 1822
Commander		Willem Poolman	6 June 1822	14 June 1823
–		Hendrik Adriaan Mouwe	27 June 1823	11 February 1824
–		Johan David Carel Pagenstecher	17 February 1824	24 February 1824
–		Friedrich Last	24 February 1824	3 January 1826
–		Jacobus van der Breggen Paauw	3 January 1826	26 November 1827
Commander		Friedrich Last	26 November 1827	28 April 1832
–		Jan Tieleman Jacobus Cremer	28 April 1832	1 July 1832
–		Eduard Daniel Leopold van Ingen	1 July 1832	16 March 1833
–		Martinus Swarte	29 March 1833	11 May 1833
Commander		Christiaan Lans	11 May 1833	2 December 1836
–		Hendrik Tonneboeijer	2 December 1836	28 October 1837
–		Anthony van der Eb	29 October 1837	5 August 1838
Governor		Hendrik Bosch	5 August 1838	7 March 1840
Governor		Anthony van der Eb	11 March 1840	9 June 1846
–		Willem George Frederik Derx Acting while Van der Eb was on leave in Europe	9 June 1846	10 July 1847
Governor		Anthony van der Eb Returned to office after coming back from Europe	10 July 1847	21 September 1852
Governor		Hero Schomerus Acting until January 20, 1853	21 September 1852	25 September 1856
–		Petrus Jacobus Runckel	25 September 1856	6 November 1856
–		Willem George Frederik Derx	6 November 1856	29 April 1857
Governor		Jules van den Bossche	29 April 1857	9 September 1857
Governor		Cornelis Nagtglas Acting until June 21, 1858	9 September 1857	7 May 1860
–		Cornelis Meeuwsen Acting while Nagtglas was on leave in Europe	7 May 1860	21 January 1861
Governor		Cornelis Nagtglas Returned to office after coming back from Europe	21 January 1861	23 June 1862
Governor		Henri Alexander Elias	18 October 1862	12 March 1864
–		Carel van Hien Acting while Elias was on leave in Europe	12 March 1864	13 June 1864
–		Hendrik Doijer Acting while Elias was on leave in Europe	13 June 1864	7 December 1864
Governor		Henri Alexander Elias Returned to office after coming back from Europe	7 December 1864	4 May 1865
–		Arent Magnin	4 May 1865	19 February 1866
Governor		Willem Hendrik Johan van Idsinga	19 February 1866	17 April 1867
Governor		George Pieter Willem Boers	17 April 1867	15 May 1869
Governor		Cornelis Nagtglas	15 May 1869	8 June 1871
–		Jan Albert Hendrik Hugenholtz	8 June 1871	17 September 1871
–		Johannes Wirix	17 September 1871	28 October 1871
–		Willem Le Jeune	28 October 1871	15 November 1871
Lieutenant Governor		Jan Helenus Ferguson	15 November 1871	6 April 1872

See also

• Ghana
  • Heads of State of Ghana
  • Heads of Government of Ghana
• Gold Coast
  • Colonial Heads of Ghana (Gold Coast)
  • Colonial Heads of Danish Gold Coast
• Lists of office holders