List of colonial governors of the Gambia

This is a list of colonial governors and administrators in the Gambia from the establishment of a British settlement on St Mary's Island, now known as Banjul Island, in 1816, through to the Gambia Colony and Protectorate's independence from the United Kingdom in 1965.

The official title of the Commandant of St Mary's Island was given as the Commandant of the British Settlement at St Mary's in 1823. In 1821, the Gambia became a British colony that formed part of Sierra Leone. In 1829, a lieutenant governor was appointed that was subordinate to the governor of Sierra Leone. Between 1843 and 1866, the Gambia had its own governor independent of Sierra Leone. It once again became subordinate in 1866, with an administrator being appointed to govern the territory. An independent governor was again appointed in 1901 that also acted as the commander-in-chief of the colony.

The Gambia achieved independence in 1965. Thereafter, the viceroy of the British Crown in the Gambia became the Governor-General of the Gambia, until it renounced Queen Elizabeth II as head of state in 1970.

Before 1816

Before 1816, the colonial presence in the Gambia was restricted to James Island (known as St Andrew's Island from 1456 to 1660, and as Kunta Kinteh Island since 2011).

Commandants of St Mary's Island (1816–1830)

{| class="wikitable" style="width:85%; text-align:center;"

! colspan="2" style="width:25%"| Commandant

! colspan="2" style="width:20%"| Term of office

! Prior or concurrent offices

! Colonial Secretary

! style="width:8%" | Monarch

!Ref

| rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"| Lieutenant Colonel Sir Alexander Grant (1775–1827)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 23 April 1816

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 1 August 1826

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Officer with the Royal African Corps (1804–1825)

– Acting Governor of Sierra Leone (1820–1821; 1821)

|None

| George III 50px

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| First Governor as a distinct colony. Almost immediately appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Sierra Leone.

|rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"| Thomas Lewis Ingram (1807–1868)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 26 August 1843

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 7 August 1844

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Colonial Secretary of the Gambia (1837–1849)

|Himself

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Established a Liberated Africans Department in 1831. Failed expedition against Kemintang Kamara in 1835. Died of yellow fever in office.

| rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"| Edmund Nash Norcott (1794–1874)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 30 October 1843

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 15 March 1844

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Unknown

|Thomas Lewis Ingram

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Did not take office.

| rowspan="2" |

| rowspan="2" | Sir John Iles Mantell (1813–1893)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 7 August 1844

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 9 December 1844

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Queen's Advocate in the Gambia (1841–1847)

|Himself

| rowspan="2" |

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Acting Governor while serving as Queen's Advocate.

| rowspan="2"| 129x129px

| rowspan="2"| Captain Charles Fitzgerald (1791–1887)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 9 December 1844

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 18 April 1847

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Unknown

|Thomas Lewis Ingram

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Agreed cession of part of Kombo from king of Kombo, creating British Kombo. Left in May 1841.

| rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"| Thomas Lewis Ingram (1807–1868)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 18 April 1847

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 21 December 1847

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Colonial Secretary of the Gambia (1837–1849)

|Himself

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85% "| Re-appointed after Fitzgerald left the Gambia.

| rowspan="2"| 129x129px

| rowspan="2"| Richard Graves MacDonnell (1814–1881)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 21 December 1847

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" |18 August 1852

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Chief Justice of the Gambia (1843–1847)

|Thomas Lewis Ingram

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"|  

| rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"| Daniel Robertson (1813–1892)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 11 August 1851

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 12 March 1852

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Colonial Secretary of the Gambia (1849–1865)

|Himself

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Brief period as Acting Governor in place of MacDonnell.

| rowspan="2"| 129x129px

| rowspan="2"| Arthur Kennedy (1809–1883)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" |May 1852

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" |May 1852

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Poor Law Commission administrator (1846–1851)

|Daniel Robertson

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Before formally taking up role, was re-appointed to Governor of Sierra Leone, so never entered office.

| rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"| Daniel Robertson (1813–1892)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 18 August 1852

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 21 October 1852

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Colonial Secretary of the Gambia (1849–1865)

|Himself

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Appointed Acting Governor after MacDonnell left the Gambia, and after Kennedy did not take up role.

| rowspan="2"|129x129px

| rowspan="2"| Lieutenant Colonel Luke Smythe O'Connor (1806–1873)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 21 October 1852

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 23 April 1859

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Officer with the 1st West India Regiment

|Daniel Robertson

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Upper Kombo ceded to the British by the king of Kombo in 1853. Commanded British soldiers at both sackings of Sabbajee. Negotiated end to Soninke-Marabout War (1850–1856). Albreda ceded by the French to the British in 1857.

| rowspan="2"|

| rowspan="2"| Daniel Robertson (1813–1883)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 23 April 1859

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 6 September 1859

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Colonial Secretary of the Gambia (1849–1865)

|Himself

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| 

| rowspan="2"| 129x129px

| rowspan="2"| George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy (1818–1885)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 6 September 1859

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 19 February 1866

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Officer with the 3rd West India Regiment

|Daniel Robertson

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"| Ma Bah begins attacks on the Soninke at Baddibu in 1862. Death of Maba Diakhou Bâ at the Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune in 1867.

Administrators of the Gambia (1866–1901)

{| class="wikitable" style="width:85%; text-align:center;"

! colspan="2" style="width:25%"| Administrator

! colspan="2" style="width:20%"| Term of office

! Prior or concurrent offices

! Colonial Secretary

! style="width:8%" | Monarch

!Ref

| rowspan="2"| 129x129px

| rowspan="2"| George Abbas Kooli D'Arcy (1818–1885)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" | 19 February 1866

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" | 18 December 1866

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Officer with the 3rd West India Regiment – Governor of the Gambia (1859–1866)

| Unknown

| rowspan="47" |Victoria 50px

| rowspan="2"|

| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;font-size:85%"|  

| rowspan="2" |

| rowspan="2" |Rear Admiral Charles George Edward Patey (1811–1881)

| id="Geo. 1" nowrap="nowrap" |18 December 1866

| id="Geo. 2" nowrap="nowrap" |21 April 1869

| style="text-align:left; font-size:85%;" |– Administrator of Lagos (1866)

| rowspan="2" |