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List of governors of Singapore facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The governors of Singapore were the political leaders of Singapore during its pre-independence phase in the history of Singapore.

Residents of Singapore (1819–1826)

The Resident of Singapore ruled the British colony that is today the Republic of Singapore. The persons on this position governed Singapore from 1819 to 1826, on behalf of the British East India Company.

British East India Company
No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Monarch
Took office Left office Duration
1 WilliamFarquhar.jpg Major-General William Farquhar
(1774–1839)
6 February 1819 1 May 1823 4 years, 2 months Aberdeenshire, Scotland Resident of Malacca,
Chief Engineer
Allan Ramsay - King George III in coronation robes - Google Art Project.jpg

George III

George IV 1821 color.jpg

George IV

2 John Crawfurd.jpg Dr John Crawfurd
(1783–1868)
27 May 1823 15 August 1826 3 years, 2 months Argyll, Scotland Surgeon, Diplomat

Governors of the Straits Settlements (1826–1942)

The Governor of the Straits Settlements ruled the Straits Settlements. The persons on this position governed the Straits Settlements from 1826 to 1946, on behalf of the British East India Company (1826–1858), the India Office (1858–1867) and the Colonial Office (1867–1946) respectively.

British Straits Settlements
No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Monarch
Took office Left office Duration
1 Robert Fullerton, by George Chinnery.jpg Robert Fullerton
(1773–1831)
27 November 1826 12 November 1830 3 years, 11 months Edinburgh, Scotland Second Member of Council,
and President of the Board of Trade
George IV 1821 color.jpg
George IV
William IV in 1833 by Shee cropped.jpg
William IV
2 Robert Ibbetson 1789-1850.jpg Robert Ibbetson
(1789–1880)
12 November 1830 7 December 1833 3 years, 25 days England Resident Councillor
of the Prince of Wales Island
3 Kenneth Murchison.jpg Kenneth Murchison
(1794–1854)
7 December 1833 17 November 1836 2 years, 11 months Scotland Resident Councillor
of the Straits Settlements
4 Sir Samuel George Bonham.jpg Sir Samuel George Bonham
(1803–1863)
18 November 1836 January 1843 6 years, 1 month Kent, England Resident Councillor
of the Straits Settlements
Queen Victoria by Bassano.jpg
Victoria
British East India Company
5 William J Butterworth.jpg Major General William John Butterworth
(1801–1856)
August 1843 21 March 1855 11 years, 9 months Unknown Lieutenant-Colonel
of the 38th Madras Regiment
6 Edmund Augustus Blundell
(1804–1868)
21 March 1855 6 August 1859 4 years, 4 months Somerset, England Resident Councillor of Penang
India Office
7 Sir Orfeur Cavenagh.jpg Major General Sir Orfeur Cavenagh
(1820–1891)
6 August 1859 16 March 1867 7 years, 7 months Kent, England British Indian Army
Colonial Office
8 HarryStGeorgeOrd-1877-1880.jpg Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord
(1819–1885)
16 March 1867 4 March 1871 3 years, 11 months Kent, England Special Commissioner to West Africa
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
(acting)
4 March 1871 22 March 1872 1 year and 18 days London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
8 HarryStGeorgeOrd-1877-1880.jpg Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord
(1819–1885)
22 March 1872 3 November 1873 1 year, 7 months Kent, England Colonial administrator
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
(acting)
3 November 1873 4 November 1873 1 day London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
9 Sir Andrew Clarke (1873) by G R Lambert.jpg Sir Andrew Clarke
(1824–1902)
4 November 1873 8 May 1875 1 year, 6 months Hampshire, England Director of Works at the Admiralty
10 William Jervois.jpg Sir William Jervois
(1821–1897)
8 May 1875 3 April 1877 1 year, 10 months Isle of Wight, England Colonel of the Royal Engineers
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
(acting)
3 April 1877 August 1877 4 months London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
11 William C. F. Robinson.jpeg Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson
(1834–1897)
August 1877 10 February 1879 1 year, 5 months County Westmeath, Ireland Governor of Western Australia
Archibald Edward Harbord Anson.jpg Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson
(1826–1925)
(acting)
10 February 1879 16 May 1880 1 year, 3 months London, England Lieutenant Governor of Penang
12 Frederick Weld.jpg Sir Frederick Weld
(1823–1891)
16 May 1880 17 October 1887 7 years, 5 months Dorset, England Governor of Tasmania
13 Cecil Clementi Smith.jpg Sir Cecil Clementi Smith
(1840–1916)
17 October 1887 30 August 1893 5 years, 10 months London, England Colonial Secretary
of the Straits Settlements
Sir-William-Edward-Maxwell-1.jpg William Edward Maxwell
(1846–1897)
(acting)
30 August 1893 1 February 1894 5 months and 2 days unknown Colonial Secretary
of the Straits Settlements
14 Charles Mitchell.jpg Sir Charles Mitchell
(1836–1899)
Died while in office
1 February 1894 7 December 1899 5 years, 10 months London, England Governor of Natal
James Alexander Swettenham.jpg James Alexander Swettenham
(1846–1933)
(acting)
7 December 1899 5 November 1901 1 year, 10 months Derbyshire, England Colonial Secretary
of the Straits Settlements
King-Edward-VII (cropped).jpg
Edward VII
15 Sir Frank Swettenham by John Singer Sargent 1904.jpg Sir Frank Swettenham
(1850–1946)
5 November 1901 16 April 1904 2 years, 5 months Derbyshire, England Resident-General
of the Federated Malay States
16 Sir john anderson.gif Sir John Anderson
(1858–1918)
16 April 1904 2 September 1911 7 years, 4 months Aberdeenshire, Scotland Colonial administrator
King George 1923 LCCN2014715558 (cropped).jpg
George V
17 Sir Arthur Henderson Young 1921.jpg Sir Arthur Henderson Young
(1854–1938)
2 September 1911 17 February 1920 8 years, 5 months unknown Resident-General
of the Federated Malay States
18 Sir Laurence Guillemard.png Sir Laurence Guillemard
(1862–1951)
17 February 1920 3 June 1927 7 years, 3 months unknown Colonial administrator
19 Hugh Charles Clifford (The Straits Times, 15 October 1929).jpg Sir Hugh Clifford
(1866–1941)
3 June 1927 21 October 1929 2 years, 4 months London, England Governor of British Ceylon
Sir John Scott
(1878 – 1946)
(acting)
21 October 1929 5 February 1930 3 months and 15 days unknown Colonial Secretary
of the Straits Settlements
20 SIRCECILCLEMENTIHKU.jpg Sir Cecil Clementi
(1875–1947)
5 February 1930 17 February 1934 4 years and 12 days Cawnpore, British India Governor of Hong Kong
Sir Andrew Caldecott.jpg Sir Andrew Caldecott
(1884–1951)
(acting)
17 February 1934 9 November 1934 8 months and 23 days Kent, England Colonial Secretary
of the Straits Settlements
Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas.png Sir Shenton Thomas
(1879–1962)
9 November 1934 15 February 1942 7 years, 3 months London, England Governor of the Gold Coast
21
HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg

Edward VIII

King George VI LOC matpc.14736 (cleaned).jpg

George VI

Japanese occupation of Singapore

Japanese occupation (1942 to 1945)

During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, there were two Mayors and five Military Administrators appointed to Syonan-to.

Mayor of Syonan-to「昭南島」(Shōnan-tō)
No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Monarch
Took office Left office Duration
1 Odachi Shigeo.jpg Odate Shigeo
(1892–1955)
7 March 1942 8 July 1943 1 year, 4 months Hamada, Shimane Bureaucrat in the Home Ministry Hirohito in dress uniform.jpg
Emperor Shōwa
2 Naito Kanichi
(1897–19??)
19 July 1943 12 September 1945 2 years, 1 month Ehime Chief Military Administrator
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg End of Japanese occupation of Singapore Flag of the British Straits Settlements (1925–1946).svg
Military Administrator of Syonan-to「昭南島」(Shōnan-tō) War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army (1868–1945).svg
No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Monarch
Took office Left office
1 Yamashita Tomoyuki.jpg Yamashita Tomoyuki
(1888–1946)
15 February 1942 1 July 1942 Ōtoyo, Kōchi Commanding Officer
of the Japanese 25th Army
Hirohito in dress uniform.jpg
Emperor Shōwa
2 Yaheita Saito
(1885-1953)
1 July 1942 8 April 1943 Kagawa
3 Hisaichi Terauchi.jpg Terauchi Hisaichi
(1879–1946)
8 April 1943 22 March 1944 Tokyo Commanding Officer
of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group
4 General-Kenji-Doihara.jpg Doihara Kenji
(1883–1948)
22 March 1944 7 April 1945 Okayama Commanding Officer
of the Japanese 7th Area Army
5 Seishirō Itagaki.jpg Itagaki Seishiro
(1885–1948)
7 April 1945 12 September 1945 Morioka, Iwate
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg End of Japanese occupation of Singapore Flag of the British Straits Settlements (1925–1946).svg

Governors of the Straits Settlements (1945–1946)

British Straits Settlements
No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Monarch
Took office Left office Duration
British Military Administration of the Straits Settlements
From 12 September 1945 to 31 March 1946.
King George VI LOC matpc.14736 (cleaned).jpg
George VI
Lord Mountbatten Naval in colour Allan Warren.jpg Lord Louis Mountbatten
(1900–1979)
British High Command
12 September 1945 31 March 1946 6 months and 19 days Berkshire, England Supreme Allied Commander
of the Southeast Asia Theatre
British Straits Settlements
21 Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas.png Sir Shenton Thomas
(1879–1962)
12 September 1945 31 March 1946 6 months and 19 days London, England Colonial administrator

Singapore became a separate Crown Colony

Governors of Singapore (1946–1959)

The Governor of Singapore governs Singapore. The persons on this position governed the Colony of Singapore from 1946 to 1959, on behalf of the Colonial Office until Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 in which the Office of the Governor was abolished.

Crown Colony of Singapore
No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Monarch
Took office Left office Duration
1 Frank Gimson.jpg Sir Franklin Charles Gimson
(1890–1975)
1 April 1946 20 March 1952 5 years, 11 months Leicestershire, England Colonial Secretary
of Hong Kong
King George VI LOC matpc.14736 (cleaned).jpg
George VI
Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour (retouched) (cropped) (3-to-4 aspect ratio).jpg

Elizabeth II

Wilfred Lawson Blythe
(1896–1975)
(acting)
20 March 1952 21 April 1952 1 month and 1 day unknown Colonial Secretary
of Singapore
2 John Fearns Nicoll2.jpg Sir John Fearns Nicoll
(1899–1981)
21 April 1952 2 June 1955 3 years, 1 month London, England Colonial Secretary
of Hong Kong
Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode
(1907–1986)
(acting)
2 June 1955 30 June 1955 28 days Middlesex, England Colonial Secretary
of Singapore
3 Sir Robert Brown Black
(1906–1999)
30 June 1955 9 December 1957 2 years, 5 months Edinburgh, Scotland Colonial Secretary
of Hong Kong
4 Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode
(1907–1986)
9 December 1957 2 June 1959 1 year, 5 months Middlesex, England Chief Secretary
of Singapore
Singapore is granted self-governance in 1959 within the British Empire

See also

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