COMPILATION OF GOVERNORS OF HONG KONG

Submitted by Klaus on Sat, 10/26/2024 - 17:44

The early days (1841-1843)

In the beginning, the colony was ruled by Administrators, namely Capt. Charles ELLIOT, R.N. ,Alexander Robert JOHNSTON, and The Rt. Hon. Sir Henry POTTINGER, P.C., G.C.B.

 

Appointment of the first Governor                                                                                               

From: The Friends of China and Hong Kong Gazette, Government Extraordinary, Friday June 30th, 1843.

PROCLAMATION.

The TREATY OF PEACE, ratified under the Signs Manual, and Seals of the respective Sovereigns, between Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., &c. and His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of China, having been this day formally exchanged, the annexed Royal Charter and Commission, under the Great Seal of State, are hereby Proclaimed and published for general information, obedience, and guidance.

His EXCELLENCY, SIR HENRY POTTINGER, BART., G.C.B. &c. has this day taken the Oaths of Office, and assumed charge of the Government of the Colony of Hong Kong, and its Dependencies.

In obedience to the Gracious Commands of Her Majesty, as intimated in the Royal Charter, the Island and its Dependencies will be designated and known as “The Colony of Hong-Kong” and His Excellency the Governor, is further pleased to direct, that the present City, on the Northern side of the Island, shall be distinguished by Her Majesty's Name, and that all Public Communications, Archives &c., &c., shall be henceforward, dated "VICTORIA."

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

HENRY POTTINGER.

Dated at the Government House, at Victoria, this 26th day of June, 1843

 

List of Governors

  Name Date of appointment Duration  
      Years Days
1 The Rt. Hon. Sir Henry POTTINGER, Bt., P.C., G.C.B. 26.06.1843   317
2 Sir John Francis DAVIS, Bt., K.C.B. 08.05.1844 3 315
3 Sir Samuel George BONHAM, Bt., K.C.B. 21.03.1848 6 23
4 Sir John BOWRING 13.04.1854 5 19
5 The Rt. Hon. Lord ROSMEAD, P.C., G.C.M.G.
(formerly the Rt. Hon. Sir Hercules ROBINSON, Bt.)		 09.09.1859 5 187
6 Sir Richard Graves MACDONNELL, K.C.M.G., C.B: 11.03.1866 6 30
7 Sir Arthur Edward KENNEDY, G.C.M.G., C.B. 16.04.1872 4 319
8 Sir John Pope HENNESSY, K.C.M.G. 22.04.1877   4 318
9 The Rt. Hon. Sir George Ferguson BOWEN, P.C., G.C.M.G. 30.03.1883 2 266
10 Sir George William DES VOEUX, G.C.M.G.  06.10.1887 3 213
11 Sir William ROBINSON, G.C.M.G.  10.12.1891   6 53
12 Sir Henry Arthur BLAKE, G.C.M.G.  25.11.1898 4 361
13 The Rt. Hon. Sir Matthew NATHAN, P.C., G.C.M.G. 29.07.1904 2 265
14 The Rt. Hon. the Lord LUGARD, P.C., G.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O. 29.07.1907   4 231
15 Sir Francis Henry MAY, G.C.M.G.    ​​​​​​​ 24.07.1912 6 70
16 Sir Reginald Edward STUBBS, G.C.M.G. 30.09.1919 6 31
17 Sir Cecil CLEMENTI, G.C.M.G. 01.11.1925     ​​​​​​​ 4 92
18 Sir William PEEL, K.C.M.G., K.B.E.   ​​​​​​​ 09.05.1930 5 8
19 Sir Andrew CALDECOTT, G.C.M.G., C.B.E.  ​​​​​​​ 12.12.1935 1 125
20 Sir Geoffry Alexander Stafford NORTHCOTE, K.C.M.G. 28.10.1937 ​​​​​​​ 3 313
21 Sir Mark Aitchison YOUNG, G.C.M.G. 10.09.1941   106

Japanese occupation (1941–1945)

21 Sir Mark Aitchison YOUNG, G.C.M.G. ​​​​​​​ 01.06.1946 ​​​​​​​ 1 16
22 Sir Alexander William George Herder GRANTHAM, G.C.M.G. 25.07.1947 10 159
23 Sir Robert Brown BLACK, G.C.M.G., O.B.E ​​​​​​​ 23.01.1958 ​​​​​​​ 6 68
24 Sir David Clive Crosbie TRENCH, G.C.M.G., M.C. 14.04.1964 7 188
25

Lord MACLEHOSE of Beoch, G.B.E., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O.
(formerly Sir Crawford MURRAY MACLEHOSE)

 19.11.1971  ​​​​​​​ 10 170
26 Sir Edward YOUDE, G.C.M.G., M.B.E. 20.05.1982 4 198
27 Sir David Clive WILSON, K.C.M.G.     ​​​​​​​ 09.04.1987 5 85
28 The Rt Hon. the Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH
(formerly The Rt. Hon. Christopher Francis PATTEN)		 09.07.1992 4 356

  

Source for the names, titles and start of their respective governorship: APPA.pdf (Rating and Valuation Department)

Further dates Governor of Hong Kong - Wikipedia. There additionally the names of Administrators and acting Governors are listed.

 

Tags

 

Wikipedia: List of Governors

e.g.

1   Sir Henry Pottinger
砵甸乍
(1789–1856)		 26 June 1843 8 May 1844 317 days Ballymacarrett, Ireland Lieutenant-General [7]
2   Sir John Francis Davis
戴維斯
(1795–1890)		 8 May 1844 21 March 1848 3 years, 315 days London, England Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China [8]
3   Sir George Bonham
文咸
(1803–1863)		 21 March 1848 13 April 1854 6 years, 23 days London, England East India Company [9]

Would a table make it easier to read, e.g.: 

  Name Date of appointment Duration  
      Years Days
1 The Rt. Hon. Sir Henry POTTINGER, Bt., P.C., G.C.B. 26.06.1843   317
2 Sir John Francis DAVIS, Bt., K.C.B. 08.05.1844 3 315
3 Sir Samuel George BONHAM, Bt., K.C.B. 21.03.1848 6 23
4 Sir John BOWRING 13.04.1854 5 19
5 The Rt. Hon. Lord ROSMEAD, P.C., G.C.M.G.
(formerly the Rt. Hon. Sir Hercules ROBINSON, Bt.)		 09.09.1859 5 187

 

David, agree with you. When I originally prepared the list in Word, it was a table (or at least a text with tabs that created columns). When I uploaded the text to Gwulo , the tabs disappeared, so the result is not reader friendly. 

I just left for my holidays, so I can transpose the text to a table in three weeks time.

Why are we just copying the Wikipedia page ?

A list of HK Governors is long overdue on a website about HK history, and as there's a good list of those details on the Wikipedia page that looks like a sensible source to copy from. The page above isn't a cut & paste copy of the whole Wikipedia page, just an extract of some of the information there, with Wikipedia quoted as a source and a link to the relevant page on that site. It all looks good to me.

David, I've created tables for the list of governors. However, the second table has a different column width compared to the first one. I tried to get them in line, but it doesn't work. Could you please help.