List of governors of Bengal Presidency

The Governor of Bengal was the head of the executive government of the Bengal Presidency from 1834 to 1854 and again from 1912 to 1947.[1][2] The office was initially established on 15 November 1834 as the "Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal" and was later abolished on 1 May 1854 and the responsibility of the government of the Presidency was vested in the two Lieutenant Governors of the North-Western Provinces and Bengal.[lower-alpha 1] On 1 April 1912 the office of Governor of Bengal was restored and lasted till the Partition of India in 1947 and was replaced by the office of the Governor of West Bengal in West Bengal.

Governor of Bengal
Star of India
Last holder
Sir Frederick Burrows
19 February 1946 – 15 August 1947
Government of Bengal
StatusHead of government
Member ofLegislative Council
ResidenceFort William (1834–1854)
Government House (1912–1947)
SeatCalcutta, Bengal
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom (1834–1876)
Emperor of India (1876–1947)
Term lengthFive years
PrecursorGovernor-General of Bengal
Inaugural holderLord William Bentick
Formation15 November 1834
Final holderSir Frederick Burrows
Abolished1 May 1854
(later re-established in 1912)
15 August 1947
DeputyDeputy Governor (1836–1854)

The history of the office of the Governor of Bengal dates back to 1644, when Gabriel Boughton procured privileges for the East India Company which permitted them to build a factory at Hughli, without fortifications. Various chief agents, governors and presidents were appointed to look after company affairs in the Bay of Bengal. In 1773, Warren Hastings was appointed as the first Governor General of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal following the enactment of the East India Company Act of 1772.[3]

In 1833, the first Government of India Act was passed enacting that the three presidencies of Fort William in Bengal, Bombay and Madras along with a new "Presidency of Agra", were to be a part of a new "India", and the new office of Governor-General of India along with the Government of India was established. The Governor of Bengal served as the Governor-General of India in addition to his own office.[4]

This setup lasted until the enactment of the Government of India Act 1853, following which, the office of the Governor of Bengal was abolished. From this point onwards the Presidency of Fort William existed only as a nominal administrative division without a government or a head of government. Rather it was made up of two separate lieutenant governorships with separate governments under the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces and the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. North-Western Provinces were later separated from the Presidency and united with the Oudh Province, leaving only the Bengal Division. This setup was abolished in 1912 after a proclamation by King-Emperor George V was made in 1911 re-establishing the office of the Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal.[5]

In 1947, India was partitioned and the new province of West Bengal was formed following the second partition of Bengal. C. Rajagopalachari was appointed as the first Governor of West Bengal. When the constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950, the office of Governor of West Bengal become a ceremonial position.

Precursors (1650–1773)

In 1644 Gabriel Boughton, procured privileges for the East India Company which permitted them to build a factory at Hughli, without fortifications. In 1650, the factories of Balasor and Hughli were united. On 14 December 1650, James Bridgman was appointed as the chief of the factories. However, in 1653, Bridgman left suddenly and Powle Waldegrave assumed his charge.

On 27 February 1657, the company resolved its holdings into four agencies: Fort St. George, Bantam, Persia, and Hughli. George Gawton was appointed as the Agent of Hughly. Additional three factories in Ballasore, Cassambazar and Pattana were put under the Hughly agency. In 1658, Johnathan Trevisa was appointed as the second to Gawton and was meant to succeed him after the latter's death. On 6 February 1661, the company reduced the Hughly agency under the Fort St. George, and then agent Trevisa was made the "Chief of Factories in the Bay of Bengal".

On 24 November 1681, William Hedges was appointed as the "Agent and Governor for the affairs of the East India Company in the Bay of Bengal". On 21 December 1684, William Gyfford who was the President and Governor of Fort St. George was given the additional charge of Bengal due to increasing mismanagement. John Beard was appointed as the "Agent and Chief in the Bay of Bengal" and become the subordinate to Gifford.

On 20 December 1699, the Court of Directors (London East India Company) appointed then Agent Charles Eyre was made the " President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal". The President or Chief in the Bay of Bengal for the English East India Company was Sir Edward Littleton in whose commission and instructions, dated 12 January 1698, it was also stated that power had been obtained from his Majesty to constitute him the "Minister or Consul for the English Nation" with all powers requisite thereunto.” Littleton was later deposed by the Court of Directors in 1703.

The union of the two East India Companies took place on 23 July 1702. For united trade in Bengal, a Council was appointed, of which Nathaniel Halsey and Robert Hedges were to take chair each in their week alternatively as per the dispatch from United Company on 26 February 1702. In a dispatch of 12 February 1704, it was ordered that if Beard shall die, no one will be appointed as President to succeed him. After the departure of John Beard to Madras, Ralph Sheldon assumed the position of Chief of Council, and his appointment was confirmed in a dispatch of 7 February 1706.

On 30 December 1709, Anthony Weldon was appointed as the "President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal" for the United East India Company. His appointment was later revoked and was supposed to be succeeded by Sheldon. Since Sheldon had died by the time dispatch arrived in Bengal, John Russell was ordered to succeed as the Governor. By a letter of 8 May 1771, the Court appointed Warren Hastings to be Governor of Bengal.

Name Portrait Took office Left office Remarks Appointer
Chief of the factories of Balasore and Hughli East India
Company
James Bridgman 14 December 1650 1653
Powle Waldegrave 1653 1657
Agent of Hughly Agency
George Gawton 27 February 1657 11 September 1658
John Trevisa 11 September 1658 6 February 1661
Chief of Factories in the Bay of Bengal
John Trevisa 6 February 1661 31 January 1662
William Blake 31 January 1662 24 January 1668
Shem Bridges 24 January 1668 7 December 1669
Henry Powell 7 December 1669 ?
Walter Clavell ~June 1672 7 August 1677 Died in office
Mathias Vincent 7 September 1677 ~July 1682

(position superseded)

 Deposed in July 1682
Agent and Governor

for the affairs of the East India Company

in the Bay of Bengal

Sir William Hedges 24 November 1681 ~ August 1684 Deposed in August 1864
Agent and Chief in the Bay of Bengal
John Beard 21 December 1863 28 August 1865 Died in office
Job Charnock ~ April 1686 10 January 1693 Died in office
Francis Ellis 10 January 1693 January 1694
Charles Eyre 25 January 1694 1 February 1699 Left for England in 1699
John Beard 1 February 1699 20 December 1699

(position superseded)

 Second to Eyre
President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal
Sir Charles Eyre 20 December 1699 7 January 1701 Left on account of health issues
John Beard 7 January 1701 7 July 1705 Died in Office
President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal
Anthony Weldon 30 December 1709 4 March 1711 Appointment revoked by the Court of Directors

Resigned on March 1711

John Rusell 4 March 1711 3 December 1713 Dismissed by the Court
Robert Hedges 3 December 1713 28 December 1717 died in office
Samuel Feake 12 January 1718 17 January 1723 Left for England due to illness
John Deane 17 January 1723 30 January 1726 Returned to England
Henry Frankland 30 January 1726 25 February 1732 Returned to Europe
John Stackhouse 25 February 1732 29 January 1739 Resigned
Thomas Broddyll 29 January 1739 4 Feb 1746 Left for England
John Forster 4 Feb 1746 March 1748 Died in office
William Barewell 18 April 1748 1749 Dismissed by the Court
Adam Dawson 17 July 1749 1752 Dismissed by the Court
William Fycthe 5 July 1752 8 August 1752 Died in Office
Roger Drake 8 August 1752 20 June 1758 Deposed by the Court
Col. Robert Clive 27 June 1758 23 January 1760 Resigned
John Zephaniah Holwell 28 January 1760 27 July 1760 Handed over to Vansittart who was appointed on

23 November 1759 to the office

Henry Vansittart 27 July 1760 26 November 1764 Returned to England
John Spencer 3 December 1764 3 May 1765
The Lord Clive 3 May 1765 20 January 1767 Returned to England
Harry Verelst 29 January 1767 24 December 1769 Retired from the service
John Cartier 26 December 1769 13 April 1772
Warren Hastings 13 April 1772 20 October 1773

(office superseded)

 Appointed as the Governor-General of Fort William

in Bengal in 1774

List of Governor-Generals

Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal (1773–1833)

The Regulating Act of 1773 replaced the office of the Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal with Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal. The office of the Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal was restored in 1833.

Portrait Name Term Appointer
Warren Hastings[nb 1] 20 October
1773		 8 February
1785		 East India Company

(1773–1858)
John Macpherson
(acting)		 8 February
1785		 12 September
1786
The Marquess Cornwallis[nb 2] 12 September
1786		 28 October
1793
John Shore 28 October
1793		 18 March
1798
Alured Clarke
(acting)		 18 March
1798		 18 May
1798
The Earl of Mornington[nb 3] 18 May
1798		 30 July
1805
The Marquess Cornwallis 30 July
1805		 5 October
1805
Sir George Barlow, Bt
(acting)		 10 October
1805		 31 July
1807
The Lord Minto 31 July
1807		 4 October
1813
The Marquess of Hastings[nb 4] 4 October
1813		 9 January
1823
John Adam
(acting)		 9 January
1823		 1 August
1823
The Lord Amherst[nb 5] 1 August
1823		 13 March
1828
William Butterworth Bayley
(acting)		 13 March
1828		 4 July
1828

List of Governors

1834–1854 – Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal

By an Act of 1833 (3 & 4 Will. 4. c. lxxxv. Section lvi), it was enacted " that the Executive Government of each of the several Presidencies of Fort William in Bengal, Fort St. George, Bombay, and Agra shall be administered by a Governor and three Councilors, to be styled the Governor-in-Council of the said Presidencies of Fort William in Bengal , Fort St. George, Bombay, and Agra respectively, and that the Governor General of India for the time being shall be Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal. From this time the Governors General of India held also the separate office of Governor of Bengal, until the year 1854.[4] Under the Charter Act 1853 the Governor General of India was relieved of his concurrent duties as Governor of Bengal and empowered to appoint a lieutenant-governor from 1854.

Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal

(ex-officio Governor-General of India, 1834-1854)

No. Name

(birth–death)

 Portrait Took office Left office Appointer
1 The Lord William Bentick

(1774–1839)

 15 November 1834

(1833)

 20 March 1835 East India
Company
– Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt, ICS[6]

(acting)

(1785–1846)

 20 March 1835 4 March 1836
2 The Lord Auckland (1784–1849) 4 March 1836 28 February 1842
3 The Lord Ellenborough (1790–1871) 28 February 1842 June 1844
– William Wilberforce Bird, ICS[6]

(acting)

(1784–1857)

 June 1844 23 July 1844
4 Sir Henry Hardinge (1785–1856) 23 July 1844 12 January 1848
5 The Earl of Dalhousie (1812–1860) 12 January 1848 1 May 1854

(28 February 1856)

1912–1935 – Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal

On 12 December 1911 at the Delhi Durbar, Emperor George V announced the transfer of the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to Delhi and the reunification of the five predominantly Bengali-speaking divisions into a Presidency (or province) of Bengal under a Governor. On 1 April 1912 Thomas Gibson-Carmichael was appointed the Governor of Bengal.[7] Sir Frederick Burrows became the last Governor of Bengal followed by the Partition of India.

Name Portrait Took office Left office Appointer
The Lord Carimichael 1 April 1912 26 March 1917 The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst
The Earl of Ronaldshay 26 March 1917 28 March 1922 The Lord Chelmsford
The Earl of Lytton 28 March 1922 28 March 1927 The Earl of Reading
Sir Francis Stanley Jackson 28 March 1927 28 March 1932 The Lord Irwin
Sir John Anderson 29 March 1932 30 May 1937 The Earl of Willingdon

1935–1947 – Governors of the Province of Bengal
Name Portrait Took office Left office Appointer
The Lord Brabourne 30 May 1937 23 February 1939 The Marquess of Linlithgow
Sir John Arthur Herbert 1 July 1939 1 December 1943
The Lord Casey 14 January 1944 19 February 1946 The Viscount Wavell
Sir Frederick John Burrows 19 February 1946 15 August 1947

Lieutenant-Governors

Lieutenant-Governors of the Bengal Division of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal (1854–1912)

Under the Government of India Act 1853 the Governor-General of India was relieved of his concurrent duties as Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal and a separate Governor was decided to be appointed. Until then a Lieutenant Governor was to be appointed. F. J. Halliday became the first Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. William Duke served as the last lieutenant governor after which the office was superseded by the restored office of the Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal in 1912.

No. Name Portrait Took office Left office Appointer
1 Frederick James Halliday 1854 1859 The Marquess of Dalhousie
2 John Peter Grant 1859 1862 The Earl Canning
3 Cecil Beadon 1862 1866
4 William Grey 1867 1870 Sir John Lawrence, Bt
5 George Campbell 1870 1874 The Earl of Mayo
6 Sir Richard Temple Hart 1874 1877 The Lord Northbrook
7 Sir Ashley Eden 1877 1882
8 Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson 1882 1887 The Marquess of Ripon
9 Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley 1887 1890 The Earl of Dufferin
10 Sir Charles Alfred Elliott 1890 1893 The Marquess of Lansdowne
11 Sir Anthony Patrick MacDonnell 1893 1895
12 Sir Alexander Mackenzie 1895 1897 The Earl of Elgin
13 Sir Charles Cecil Stevens 1897 1898
14 Sir John Woodburn 1898 1902
15 James Dewar Bourdillon 1902 1903 The Lord Curzon of Kedleston
16 Sir Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser 1903 1906
17 Francis Slacke 1906 1908 The Earl of Minto
18 Sir Edward Norman Baker 1908 1911
19 Frederick William Duke 1911 1912 The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst

Lieutenant-Governors of the North-Western Provinces of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal (1835–1878)

The Government of India Act of 1833 had intended that there be four presidencies comprising India – that of Fort William in Bengal, Bombay, Madras and Agra. The new Presidency of Agra was be created from the Ceded and Conquered Provinces of the Bengal Presidency. However the presidency was never fully created. Instead a new Act of Parliament in 1835, dissolved the new presidency and established the lieutenant-governorship of North-Western Provinces within the Bengal Presidency. The lieutenant governorship was finally separated from the Bengal Presidency in 1878 and merged with the Oudh Province which had been a Chief Commissioner's Province under the direct supervision of the Indian Government till then and the office of the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal was abolished.

No. Name Potrait Took office Left office Appointer
(Governor-General of India)
1 Sir C. T. Metcalfe 1 June 1836 1 June 1838 The Earl of Auckland
2 T. C. Robertson 4 February 1840 31 December 1842
3 Sir G. R. Clerk 30 June 1843 22 December 1843 The Lord Ellenborough
4 James Thomason 22 December 1843 10 October 1853
5 J. R. Colvin 7 November 1853 9 September 1857 The Earl of Dalhousie
6 Colonel H. Fraser 30 September 1857 9 February 1858 The Viscount Canning
7 Sir G. F. Edmonstone 19 January 1859 27 February 1863
8 The Hon. Edmund Drummond 7 March 1863 10 March 1868 The Earl of Elgin
9 Sir William Muir 10 March 1868 7 April 1874 Sir John Lawrence
10 Sir John Strachey 7 April 1874 26 July 1876 The Lord Northbrook
11 Sir G. E. W. Couper 26 July 1876 15 February 1877 The Lord Lytton

Post-independence

In 1947, the British rule over India came to an end, and India was partitioned into two independent dominions of the Indian Union and Pakistan. Bengal Province was partitioned into the province of West Bengal in India, and province of East Bengal (later East Pakistan) in Pakistan. East Pakistan later become independent in 1971 as Bangladesh.

See also

Notes
  1. Originally joined on 28 April 1772
  2. Earl Cornwallis from 1762; created Marquess Cornwallis in 1792.
  3. Created Marquess Wellesley in 1799.
  4. Earl of Moira prior to being created Marquess of Hastings in 1816
  5. Created Earl Amherst in 1826.
  1. (in full, the Lieutenant Governor of the North-Western Provinces of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal and the Lieutenant Governor of the Bengal Division of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal)

References
  1. Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. pp. –6. ISBN 978-1332869954.
  2. "Government of India Act 1833". Act No. 38 of 28 August 1833. Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
  3. Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. pp. –6. ISBN 978-1332869954.
  4. Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-1332869954.
  5. Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-1332869954.
  6. "Raj Bhavan Kolkata" (PDF).
  7. Appendix to the Journal of the House of the Representatives. p. 51. [25th June, 1912] WHEREAS His Majesty has been pleased to appoint a Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal as delimited by a Proclamation made by the Governor - General in Council, and dated the twenty second day of ...
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