List of Governors of the Straits Settlements

The Governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 of the Straits Settlements

Straits Settlements

The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...

was appointed by the British East India Company

British East India Company

The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

 until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a crown colony. Thereafter the Governor was appointed by the Colonial Office

Colonial Office

Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German 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 Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese occupation. From the late 19th century onwards, the Governor of the Straits Settlements was usually also British High Commissioner in Malaya.

List of British Governors (1826-1946)

Portrait	Name	Entered office	Left office
	Robert Fullerton Robert Fullerton (governor) Robert Fullerton, was born in 1773 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the son of Rev. William Fullerton.-Career:Robert Fullerton was a Governor of Penang and also the first Governor of Straits Settlements, appointed by the Colonial Office, London...	27 November 1826	12 November 1830
	Robert Ibbetson	12 November 1830	7 December 1833
	Kenneth Murchison	7 December 1833	18 November 1836
	Sir Samuel George Bonham	18 November 1836	January 1843
Ruled directly from the British East India Company British East India Company The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China... From January to August 1843.
	Colonel Major-General William John Butterworth	August 1843	21 March 1855
	Edmund Augustus Blundell	21 March 1855	6 August 1859
	Major General Sir William Orfeur Cavenagh	6 August 1859	16 March 1867
	Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord Harry Ord Major-General Sir Harry St. George Ord GCMG, CB, RE, was born on 4 August 1819 in North Cray, Kent, England. He was the son of Henry Gough Ord and grandson of Craven Ord of Greenstead Hall, Essex, a prominent antiquarian.-Education and career:...	16 March 1867	4 November 1873
	Sir Andrew Clarke Andrew Clarke (administrator) Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke, GCMG, CB, CIE was a British soldier and governor as well as a politician in Australia.-Background and education:...	4 November 1873	8 May 1875
	Sir William Jervois William Jervois Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa...	8 May 1875	3 April 1877
	Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson Edward Anson Major General Archibald Edward Harbord Anson KCMG, was born on 16 April 1826 with a twin sister at 32 Devonshire Place. He was the youngest son of Major General Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet Anson K.C.B. and his mother was from the Dickenson family... Acting Governor of the Straits Settlements	3 April 1877	August 1877
	Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson William Cleaver Francis Robinson Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson GCMG was a British colonial administrator and a musical composer, being the author of several well known songs...	August 1877	10 February 1879
	Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson Edward Anson Major General Archibald Edward Harbord Anson KCMG, was born on 16 April 1826 with a twin sister at 32 Devonshire Place. He was the youngest son of Major General Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet Anson K.C.B. and his mother was from the Dickenson family... Acting Governor of the Straits Settlements	10 February 1879	16 May 1880
	Sir Frederick Weld Frederick Weld Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...	16 May 1880	17 October 1887
	Sir Cecil Clementi Smith Cecil Clementi Smith Rt Hon Sir Cecil Clementi Smith G.C.M.G. , was a British colonial administrator. He was known for his effective work in quelling Chinese secret societies in the Straits Settlements, such as those in Singapore...	17 October 1887	30 August 1893
	William Edward Maxwell Acting Governor of the Straits Settlements	30 August 1893	1 February 1894
	Sir Charles Mitchell	1 February 1894	7 December 1899
	Alexander Swettenham Acting Governor of the Straits Settlements	7 December 1899	5 November 1901
	Sir Frank Swettenham Frank Swettenham Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham GCMG CH was the first Resident General of the Federated Malay States which was formed by combining a number of sultanates. He served from 1 July 1896 to 1901. He was also an amateur photographer...	5 November 1901	16 April 1904
	Sir John Anderson John Anderson (governor) Sir John Anderson GCMG KCB JP was a British colonial governor, who was once the Governor of Ceylon and Governor of Straits Settlements.-Education:...	16 April 1904	2 September 1911
	Sir Arthur Young Arthur Young (governor) Captain Sir Arthur Henderson Young GCMG KBE was born in 1854. He was the son of Colonel Keith Young. On 5 November 1885, Sir Arthur married Lady Evelyn Anne Kennedy, daughter of Sir Archibald Kennedy, 2nd Marquess of Ailsa and Lady Julia Jephson. He died on 20 October 1938.-Career:He joined the...	2 September 1911	17 February 1920
	Sir Laurence Guillemard Laurence Guillemard Sir Laurence Guillemard was a British civil servant who served as high commissioner of Malaysia when it was under the British Empire. Guillemard was one of the promoters of British policies favouring the Malay ethnic group....	17 February 1920	3 June 1927
	Sir Hugh Clifford Hugh Clifford Sir Hugh Charles Clifford, GCMG, GBE was a British colonial administrator.-Early life:Clifford was born in Roehampton, London, the sixth of the eight children of Major-General Sir Henry Hugh Clifford and his wife Josephine Elizabeth, née Anstice; his grandfather was Hugh Clifford, 7th Baron...	3 June 1927	5 February 1930
	Sir Cecil Clementi Cecil Clementi -Early life and education:Born in Cawnpore, India, Clementi was the son of Colonel Montagu Clementi, Judge Advocate General in India, and his wife, Isabel Collard. He attended St Paul's School and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied Sanskrit and the classics. In 1895, he won the Hertford...	5 February 1930	9 November 1934
	Sir Shenton Thomas Shenton Thomas Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas, GCMG, GCStJ was the last Governor of the Straits Settlements, 1934–1942 during which time World War II began. He died at age 82...	9 November 1934	15 February 1942
Japanese Occupation of the Straits Settlements From 15 February 1942 to 12 September 1945.
British Military Administration of the Straits Settlements British Military Administration The British Military Administration was the interim administrator of British Malaya between the end of World War II and the establishment of the Malayan Union in 1946. Specifically, the entity lasted from September 1945 to April 1946... From 12 September 1945 to 1 April 1946.
	Lord Louis Mountbatten Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh... British High Command	12 September 1945	1 April 1946
Continuation of the Governor of the Straits Settlements
	Sir Shenton Thomas Shenton Thomas Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas, GCMG, GCStJ was the last Governor of the Straits Settlements, 1934–1942 during which time World War II began. He died at age 82...	12 September 1945	1 April 1946

See also

• Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements
  Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements
  The Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements was a legislature formed on April 1, 1867, when the Straits Settlements was made a crown colony...
  
  
• Governors of Singapore
  Governors of Singapore
  The Governors of Singapore were the political leaders of Singapore during its pre-independence phase in the history of Singapore.-Resident of Singapore :...
  
  
• History of Singapore
  History of Singapore
  The history of Singapore dates to the 11th century. The island rose in importance during the 14th century under the rule of Srivijayan prince Parameswara and became an important port until it was destroyed by Acehnese raiders in 1613. The modern history of Singapore began in 1819 when Englishman...
  
  
• History of Malaysia
  History of Malaysia
  Malaysia is a country in South East Asia whose strategic sea-lane position brought trade and foreign influences that fundamentally influenced its history. Hindu and Buddhist cultures imported from India dominated early Malaysian history...
  
  
• Governor of Penang
  Governor of Penang
  This is the list of people who have held the highest political office in Penang and its previous entities. Penang is a state in Malaysia.Until the 18th century, the island of Penang was part of the Sultanate of Kedah. In 1786, the island was leased by the Sultan of Kedah to an officer from the East...