List of governors of British South African colonies

This article lists the governors of British South African colonies, including the colonial prime ministers. It encompasses the period from 1797 to 1910, when present-day South Africa was divided into four British colonies namely: Cape Colony (preceded by Dutch Cape Colony), Natal Colony, Orange River Colony and Transvaal Colony.

Map of South Africa in July 1885, prior to the Second Boer War. It is showing British possessions and protectorates, the two Boer Republics (ZAR and Orange Free State), besides German South West Africa and Portuguese Mozambique.

After the colonies were disestablished as a result of the creation of the Union of South Africa, the area was divided into four provinces of the Union: Cape Province, Natal Province, Orange Free State Province and Transvaal Province.

Cape Colony

Map of the Cape Colony (orange) within South Africa (yellow).

Governors

Flag of the governor of the Cape Colony (1876–1910).
Tenure Portrait Incumbent Notes
Governors
5 May 1797 to 20 November 1798George Macartney, 1st Earl MacartneyKnown for the 1793 Macartney Embassy to China
20 November 1798 to 9 December 1799Francis Dundas1st time, acting
10 December 1799 to 20 April 1801Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet
21 April 1801 to 20 February 1803Francis Dundas2nd time, acting
Commissioner-general
21 February 1803 to 25 September 1804Jacob Abraham de MistRepresented the Batavian Republic
Governors
1 March 1803 to 18 January 1806Jan Willem JanssensRepresented the Batavian Republic
10 January 1806 to 17 January 1807Sir David Baird, 1st BaronetMilitary governor, acting
17 January 1807 to 21 May 1807Henry George Grey1st time, acting
22 May 1807 to 4 July 1811Du Pre Alexander, 2nd Earl of Caledon
5 July 1811 to 5 September 1811Henry George Grey2nd time, acting
6 September 1811 to 6 April 1814John Cradock, 1st Baron Howden
18 October 1813 to 7 January 1814Robert MeadeActing for Cradock; son of Theodosia, Countess of Clanwilliam
6 April 1814 to 5 March 1826Lord Charles Somerset
13 January 1820 to 30 November 1821Sir Rufane Shaw DonkinActing for Somerset
5 March 1826 to 9 September 1828Richard BourkeActing
9 September 1828 to 10 August 1833Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole
10 August 1833 to 16 January 1834Thomas Francis WadeActing (for D'Urban from 10 January 1834)
10 January 1834 to 20 January 1838Sir Benjamin D'Urban
22 January 1838 to 18 March 1844Sir George Thomas Napier
18 March 1844 to 27 January 1847Sir Peregrine Maitland
Governors and High Commissioners for Southern Africa
27 January 1847 to 1 December 1847Sir Henry Pottinger
1 December 1847 to 31 March 1852Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet
31 March 1852 to 26 May 1854George Cathcart
26 May 1854 to 5 December 1854Charles Henry DarlingActing
5 December 1854 to 15 August 1861Sir George Grey
20 August 1859 to 4 July 1860Robert Wynyard1st time, acting for Grey
15 August 1861 to 15 January 18622nd time, acting
15 January 1862 to 20 May 1870Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse
20 May 1870 to 31 December 1870Charles Craufurd HayActing
31 December 1870 to 31 March 1877Sir Henry Barkly
31 March 1877 to 15 September 1880Sir Henry Bartle FrereKnown for initiating the Anglo-Zulu War and the First Boer War
15 September 1880 to 27 September 1880Henry Hugh CliffordActing
27 September 1880 to 22 January 1881Sir George StrahanActing
22 January 1881 to 1 May 1889Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson1st time
30 April 1881 to August 1881Sir Leicester Smyth1st time, acting for Robinson
25 April 1883 to 26 March 18842nd time, acting for Robinson
7 April 1886 to 7 July 1886Sir Henry TorrensActing for Robinson
1 May 1889 to 13 December 1889Henry Augustus SmythActing
13 December 1889 to 30 May 1895Henry Loch, 1st Baron Loch
14 January 1891 to 1 December 1892Sir William Gordon Cameron1st time, acting for Loch
May 1894 to July 18942nd time, acting for Loch
30 May 1895 to 21 April 1897Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson2nd time; from 10 August 1896, Hercules George Robert Robinson, Baron Rosmead
21 April 1897 to 5 May 1897Sir William Howley GoodenoughActing
5 May 1897 to 6 March 1901Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner
2 November 1898 to 14 February 1899Sir William ButlerActing for Milner
6 March 1901 to 31 May 1910Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson
17 June 1909 to 21 September 1909Sir Henry Jenner ScobellActing for Hely-Hutchinson

Prime Ministers

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Party Notes
1 December 1872 to 5 February 1878John Charles Moltenon-p
6 February 1878 to 8 May 1881John Gordon Spriggn-p1st time
9 May 1881 to 12 May 1884Thomas Charles Scanlenn-p
13 May 1884 to 24 November 1886Thomas Upingtonn-p
25 November 1886 to 16 July 1890Sir John Gordon Spriggn-p2nd time
17 July 1890 to 12 January 1896Cecil Rhodesn-pResigned in the aftermath of the Jameson Raid
13 January 1896 to 13 October 1898Sir John Gordon Spriggn-p3rd time
13 October 1898 to 17 June 1900William Schreinern-p
18 June 1900 to 21 February 1904Sir John Gordon SpriggPP4th time
22 February 1904 to 2 February 1908Leander Starr JamesonPPLeader of the Jameson Raid
3 February 1908 to 31 May 1910John X. MerrimanSAP

Natal Colony

Map of the Natal Colony (orange) within South Africa (yellow).

Governors

Flag of the governor of the Natal Colony (1905–1907).
Tenure Portrait Incumbent Notes
Special Commissioner
10 May 1843 to 31 May 1844Henry Cloete
31 May 1844 to 4 December 1845direct rule by Cape ColonyDuring this time, Sir Peregrine Maitland served as the Governor of Cape Colony
Lieutenant-governors
4 December 1845 to 1 August 1849Martin Thomas West
19 April 1850 to 3 Mar 1855Benjamin Pine1st time
5 November 1856 to 31 December 1864John Scott
31 December 1864 to 26 July 1865John Maclean
26 July 1865 to 26 August 1865John Wellesley ThomasActing
26 August 1865 to 24 May 1867John Jarvis BissetActing
24 May 1867 to 19 July 1872Robert William Keate
19 July 1872 to 30 April 1873Anthony Musgrave
30 April 1873 to 22 July 1873Thomas MillesActing
22 July 1873 to 1 April 1875Sir Benjamin Pine2nd time
1 April 1875 to 3 September 1875Sir Garnet Joseph WolseleyActing
3 September 1875 to 20 April 1880Sir Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer1st time
20 April 1880 to 5 May 1880William BellairsActing
5 May 1880 to 2 July 1880Henry Hugh CliffordActing
Governors
2 July 1880 to 27 February 1881Sir George Pomeroy Colley
17 August 1880 to 14 September 1880Henry AlexanderActing for Colley
27 February 1881 to 3 April 1881Sir Evelyn WoodActing
3 April 1881 to 9 August 1881Redvers BullerActing
22 December 1881 to 6 March 1882Charles Mitchell1st time, acting
6 March 1882 to 23 October 1885Sir Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer2nd time
18 February 1886 to 5 June 1889Sir Arthur Havelock
1 December 1889 to July 1893Charles Mitchell2nd time
July 1893 to 27 September 1893Francis Seymour HadenActing
28 September 1893 to 6 May 1901Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson
13 May 1901 to 7 June 1907Sir Henry McCallum
2 September 1907 to 23 December 1909Sir Matthew Nathan
17 January 1910 to 31 May 1910Paul Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen

Prime Ministers

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Party Notes
10 October 1893 to 14 February 1897Sir John Robinsonn-p
15 February 1897 to 4 October 1897Harry Escomben-p
5 October 1897 to 8 June 1899Sir Henry Binnsn-p
9 June 1899 to 17 August 1903Sir Albert Henry Himen-p
18 August 1903 to 16 May 1905George Morris Suttonn-p
16 May 1905 to 28 November 1906Charles John Smythen-p
28 November 1906 to 28 April 1910Frederick Moorn-p

Orange River Colony

Map of the Orange River Colony (orange) within South Africa (yellow).

Governors

Flag of the governor of the Orange River Colony (1902–1910).
Tenure Portrait Incumbent Notes
23 June 1902 to 1 April 1905Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount MilnerSimultaneously served as the Governor of Transvaal Colony
2 April 1905 to 7 June 1907William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne
7 June 1907 to 31 May 1910Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams

Prime Minister

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Party Notes
27 November 1907 to 31 May 1910Abraham FischerORULater served as the Minister of the Interior Affairs of South Africa, from 1912 to 1913

Transvaal Colony

Map of the Transvaal Colony (orange) within South Africa (yellow).

Governors of the Transvaal

Flag of the governor of the Transvaal Colony (1904–1910).
Tenure Portrait Incumbent Notes
First annexation
Administrators
12 April 1877 to 4 March 1879Sir Theophilus Shepstone
4 March 1879 to 8 August 1881Owen LanyonFrom 6 April 1880, Sir William Owen Lanyon; acting for Wolseley 29 September 1879 – 27 April 1880
Governor
29 September 1879 to 27 April 1880Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Second annexation
Administrator
4 January 1901 to 23 June 1902Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount MilnerSimultaneously served as the Administrator of Orange River Colony
Governors
21 June 1902 to 1 April 1905Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount MilnerSimultaneously served as the Governor of Orange River Colony
2 April 1905 to 31 May 1910William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne

Lieutenant-Governors of the Transvaal

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Notes
Second annexation
Lieutenant-Governors
29 September 1902 to 4 December 1905Sir Arthur LawleyAppointed Governor of Madras
23 March 1906 to January 1907Sir Richard SolomonActing for Selborne 4 December 1905 to 2 October 1906

Prime Minister of the Transvaal

Tenure Portrait Incumbent Party Notes
4 March 1907 to 31 May 1910Louis BothaHVAfterwards served as the first Prime Minister of South Africa, from 1910 to 1919

See also

References

    • Cana, Frank Richardson (1911). "Natal" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
    • Ingram, Joseph Forsyth (1895). The Colony of Natal: An Official Illustrated Handbook and Railway Guide. London: J. Causton and Sons. p. 26. OCLC 813121.
    • "Governors & Administrators of Natal". Natal Almanac, Directory and Yearly Register. No. 35. Pietermaritzburg: P. Davis & Sons. 1897. p. 304.
    • "South Africa: Cape Colony", worldstatesmen.org © Ben Cahoon.
    • "South Africa: Natal Colony", worldstatesmen.org © Ben Cahoon.
    • "South Africa: Orange Free State", worldstatesmen.org © Ben Cahoon.
    • "South Africa: Transvaal", worldstatesmen.org © Ben Cahoon.
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