This article lists the colonial governors of the Dutch Gold Coast. During the Dutch presence on the Gold Coast, which lasted from 1598 to 1872, the title of the head of the colonial government changed several times:
1675–1798: Director-General (Dutch: directeur-generaal) 1798–1810: Governor-General (Dutch: gouverneur-generaal) 1810–1815: Commandant-General (Dutch: commandant-generaal) 1815–1819: Governor-General (Dutch: gouverneur-generaal) 1819–1838: Commander (Dutch: kommandeur) 1838–1872: Governor (Dutch: gouverneur)
List Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office.
Direct Dutch rule (1612–1621) Before the establishment of the Dutch West India Company on 3 June 1621, Dutch traders nominally were at the direct control of the Dutch government. Initially, the regulation of trade was left to the traders themselves, but after the building of Fort Nassau at Mouri in 1612, a general was installed to administrate the new colony.
Name Title Took office Left office Notes Jacob Adriaensz Clantius General of the Coast 1612 1614 A.J. Roest General of the Coast 1614 ? Arent Jacobzen van Amersfoort General of the Coast ? ?
Dutch West India Company rule (1621–1791)
There are many lists available of Director-Generals of the Gold Coast in service of the Dutch West India Company, all with slightly conflicting names and dates. The most accurate information is available for the eighteenth century, as Harvey Feinberg compiled a list of Director-Generals of that century on the basis of day registries available at the Nationaal Archief.
Name Title Took office Left office Notes Arent Jacobsz. van Amersfoort Director-General 1624 1631 Based at Fort Nassau, Mouri Jan Jochemsz. Sticker Director-General 1631 1635 Based at Fort Nassau, Mouri Pompeius de la Sale Director-General 1635 1637 Based at Fort Nassau, Mouri Nicolaes van Yperen Director-General 1637 18 July 1639 Based at Fort George, Elmina, from 1637 Arend Jacobszoon Montfort Director-General 18 July 1639 6 January 1641 Jacob Ruychaver Director-General 6 January 1641 18 December 1645 1st term Jacob van der Wel Director-General 18 December 1645 9 April 1650 Hendrik Doedens Director-General 9 April 1650 11 June 1650 Arent Cocq Governor 11 June 1650 15 March 1651 Jacob Ruychaver Director-General 15 March 1651 24 January 1656 2nd term Johannes van Valkenburgh Director-General 24 January 1656 27 April 1659 1st term Jasper van Heussen Director-General 27 April 1659 7 April 1662 Dirck Wilré Director-General 7 April 1662 23 December 1662 1st term Johannes van Valkenburgh Director-General 23 December 1662 2 June 1667 2nd term Huybert van Ongerdonk Governor 2 June 1667 12 December 1668 Dirck Wilré Director-General 12 December 1668 12 June 1675 2nd term Johan Root Director-General 12 June 1675 13 September 1676 Abraham Meermans Director-General 13 September 1676 26 March 1680 Daniël Verhoutert Director-General 26 March 1680 10 April 1682 Thomas Ernsthuys Director-General 10 April 1682 28 June 1684 Nikolas de Sweerts Director-General 15 July 1685 29 January 1690 Joël Smits Director-General 29 January 1690 25 March 1694 Jan Staphorst Director-General 25 March 1694 9 June 1696 Joan van Sevenhuijsen Director-General 9 June 1696 16 May 1702 Willem de la Palma Director-General 16 May 1702 17 October 1705 Died in office Pieter Nuyts Director-General 23 October 1705 26 September 1708 Died in office Henrico van Wesel Governor 26 September 1708 13 July 1709 Adriaan Schoonheijd Director-General 13 July 1709 15 March 1711 Died in office Hieronimus Haring Director-General 16 March 1711 12 May 1716 Abraham Engelgraaf-Robbertszoon Director-General 12 May 1716 11 March 1718 Willem Butler Director-General 12 March 1718 25 September 1722 Abraham Houtman Director-General 25 September 1722 17 May 1723 Died in office Mattheus de Crane Governor 17 May 1723 14 December 1723 Pieter Valkenier Director-General 14 December 1723 6-7 March 1727 Robert Norre Director-General 7 March 1727 6 March 1730 Jan Pranger Director-General 6 March 1730 13 March 1734 Antonius van Overbeke Director-General 13 March 1734 2 April 1736 Died in office Martinus François de Bordes Director-General 7 April 1736 16 March 1740 Died in office François Barovius Governor 17 March 1740 8 March 1741 Baron Jacob de Petersen Director-General 8 March 1741 10-12 April 1747 Jan van Voorst Director-General 10-12 April 1747 14 July 1754 Nicolas Mattheus van der Nood de Gietere Director-General 14 July 1754 24 October 1755 Died in office Roelof Ulzen Governor 24 October 1755 15 January 1758 Lambert Jacob van Tets Director-General 15 January 1758 12 March 1758 Died in office Jan Pieter Theodoor Huydecoper President of the Council 22 March 1758 5 October 1760 1st Term David Pieter Erasmie Director-General 5 October 1760 19 July 1763 Died in office Hendrick Walmbeek Governor 24 July 1763 10 September 1764 Jan Pieter Theodoor Huydecoper Director-General 10 September 1764 11 July 1767 2nd Term; died in office Willem Sulyard van Leefdael and Cornelis Klok President of the Council 11 July 1767 27 August 1767 Both acting ad interim until Woortman arrived at Elmina Pieter Woortman Director-General 27 August 1767 14 April 1780 Died in office Jacobus van der Puije President of the Council 10 May 1780 30 December 1780 Pieter Volkmar Director-General 30 December 1780 12 March 1784 Gilles Servaas Galle President of the Council 15 March 1784 14 February 1785 1st Term Adolph Thierens Director-General 14 February 1785 26 May 1786 Died in office Gilles Servaas Galle President of the Council 2 June 1786 24 August 1787 2nd Term; died in office Lieve van Bergen van der Grijp President of the Council 27 August 1787 11-14 March 1790 1st Term Jacobus Adriaan de Veer Director-General 11-14 March 1790 31 December 1791 Dutch West India Company liquidated 31 December 1791
Direct Dutch rule (1792–1872) The Dutch West India Company was dissolved in 1791, and its colonies reverted to the rule of the States-General of the Dutch Republic on 1 January 1792. The last Director-General installed by the Dutch West India Company, Jacobus de Veer, became the first Director-General under the direct authority of the Dutch Republic. The Dutch Republic was succeeded by the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of Holland, which all inherited the rule over the colony.
Although the Kingdom of Holland was incorporated into the First French Empire, the colony on the Gold Coast was never occupied by either France or Great-Britain. Dutch rule continued under the Kingdom of the Netherlands proclaimed in 1815, until the cession of the possessions on the Gold Coast to the United Kingdom in 1872.
TitlePortraitNameTenureTook officeLeft office Director-General Jacobus Adriaan de Veer 1 January 1792 5 May 1794 Lieve van Bergen van der Grijp 5 May 1794 10 January 1795 Governor Otto Arnoldus Duim 10 January 1795 2 June 1796 Lieve van Bergen van der Grijp 2 June 1796 21 August 1796 Director-General Gerhardus Hubertus van Hamel 21 August 1796 1 May 1798 Governor-General Cornelius Ludwich BartelsPromoted to Governor-General on 12 August 1801 8 May 1798 28 April 1804 Isaac de Roever 28 April 1804 15 June 1805 Governor-General Pieter LinthorstActing until 5 August 1805 16 June 1805 21 July 1807 Johannes Petrus Hoogenboom 21 July 1807 11 August 1808 Jan Frederik König 12 August 1808 5 March 1810 Commandant-General Abraham de Veer 5 March 1810 11 March 1816 Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels 11 March 1816 2 May 1818 Commander Frans Christiaan Eberhard OldenburgActing until 1 November 1819 2 May 1818 2 January 1820 Johannes Oosthout 10 January 1820 29 August 1821 Friedrich Last 31 August 1821 14 February 1822 Librecht Jan Temminck 14 February 1822 6 June 1822 Commander Willem Poolman 6 June 1822 14 June 1823 Hendrik Adriaan Mouwe 27 June 1823 11 February 1824 Johan David Carel Pagenstecher 17 February 1824 24 February 1824 Friedrich Last 24 February 1824 3 January 1826 Jacobus van der Breggen Paauw 3 January 1826 26 November 1827 Commander Friedrich Last 26 November 1827 28 April 1832 Jan Tieleman Jacobus Cremer 28 April 1832 1 July 1832 Eduard Daniel Leopold van Ingen 1 July 1832 16 March 1833 Martinus Swarte 29 March 1833 11 May 1833 Commander Christiaan Lans 11 May 1833 2 December 1836 Hendrik Tonneboeijer 2 December 1836 28 October 1837 Anthony van der Eb 29 October 1837 5 August 1838 Governor Hendrik Bosch 5 August 1838 7 March 1840 Governor Anthony van der Eb 11 March 1840 9 June 1846 Willem George Frederik DerxActing during the European leave of Van der Eb 9 June 1846 10 July 1847 Governor Anthony van der EbResumed office upon return from Europe 10 July 1847 21 September 1852 Governor Hero SchomerusActing until 20 January 1853 21 September 1852 25 September 1856 Petrus Jacobus Runckel 25 September 1856 6 November 1856 Willem George Frederik Derx 6 November 1856 29 April 1857 Governor Jules van den Bossche 29 April 1857 9 September 1857 Governor Cornelis NagtglasActing until 21 June 1858 9 September 1857 7 May 1860 Cornelis MeeuwsenActing during the European leave of Nagtglas 7 May 1860 21 January 1861 Governor Cornelis NagtglasResumed office upon return from Europe 21 January 1861 23 June 1862 Governor Henri Alexander Elias 18 October 1862 12 March 1864 Carel van HienActing during the European leave of Elias 12 March 1864 13 June 1864 Hendrik DoijerActing during the European leave of Elias 13 June 1864 7 December 1864 Governor Henri Alexander EliasResumed office upon return from Europe 7 December 1864 4 May 1865 Arent Magnin 4 May 1865 19 February 1866 Governor Willem Hendrik Johan van Idsinga 19 February 1866 17 April 1867 Governor George Pieter Willem Boers 17 April 1867 15 May 1869 Governor Cornelis Nagtglas 15 May 1869 8 June 1871 Jan Albert Hendrik Hugenholtz 8 June 1871 17 September 1871 Johannes Wirix 17 September 1871 28 October 1871 Willem Le Jeune 28 October 1871 15 November 1871 Lieutenant Governor Jan Helenus Ferguson 15 November 1871 6 April 1872
See also Ghana Heads of State of Ghana Heads of Government of Ghana Gold Coast Colonial Heads of Ghana (Gold Coast) Colonial Heads of Danish Gold Coast Lists of office holders
Notes
References
de:Liste der Gouverneure von Ghana#niederländische Gouverneure nl:Lijst van Directeurs-Generaal op de Goudkust