List of governors of Barbados



This article contains a list of viceroys in Barbados from its initial colonisation in 1627 by England until it achieved independence in 1966. From 1833 to 1885, Barbados was part of the colony of the Windward Islands, and the governor of Barbados represented the monarch in all the Windward Islands. In 1885 Barbados became an independent colony again.

Governors of Barbados (1627–1833)

 * 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 the newly formed colony of the Windward Islands, and the Governor of Barbados became viceroy over the new colony as well.


 * 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's oversight of the Windward Islands was ended, and a separate Governor of the Windward Islands was installed in Grenada.


 * 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

On 30 November 1966, Barbados achieved independence from the United Kingdom. For a list of viceroys in Barbados after independence, see Governor-General of Barbados.