The governor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by the British East India Company until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by the Colonial Office. The position existed from 1826 to 1946. Between 1942 and 1945 the office was not filled, as the Straits Settlements was under Japanese occupation. From the late 19th century onward, the governor of the Straits Settlements was usually also British High Commissioner for Malaya and Brunei and British Agent for Sarawak and British North Borneo.

List of British governors (1826–1946) British Straits Settlements No.PortraitNameTerm of officeOriginBackground orprevious appointmentMonarchTook officeLeft officeDuration1Robert Fullerton27 November 182612 November 1830Edinburgh, ScotlandSecond Member of Council,and President of the Board of TradeGeorge IVWilliam IV2Robert Ibbetson12 November 18307 December 1833EnglandResident Councillorof Prince of Wales Island3Kenneth Murchison7 December 183317 November 1836ScotlandResident Councillorof Straits Settlements4Sir Samuel George Bonham18 November 1836January 1843~ Kent, EnglandVictoria British East India Company 5Major General William John ButterworthAugust 184321 March 1855~ UnknownLieutenant-Colonelof the 38th Madras Regiment6Edmund Augustus Blundell21 March 18556 August 1859Somerset, EnglandResident Councillor of Penang India Office 7Major General Sir William Orfeur Cavenagh6 August 185916 March 1867Kent, EnglandBritish Indian Army Colonial Office 8Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord16 March 18674 March 1871Kent, EnglandSpecial Commissioner to West Africa—Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson4 March 187122 March 1872London, EnglandLieutenant Governor of Penang8Major General Sir Harry St. George Ord22 March 18723 November 1873Kent, EnglandColonial administrator—Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson3 November 18734 November 1873 dayLondon, EnglandLieutenant Governor of Penang9Sir Andrew Clarke4 November 18738 May 1875Hampshire, EnglandDirector of Works at the Admiralty10Sir William Jervois8 May 18753 April 1877Isle of Wight, EnglandColonel of the Royal Engineers—Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson3 April 1877August 1877~ London, EnglandLieutenant Governor of Penang11Sir William Cleaver Francis RobinsonAugust 187710 February 1879~ County Westmeath, IrelandGovernor of Western Australia—Major General Edward Archibald Harbord Anson10 February 187916 May 1880London, EnglandLieutenant Governor of Penang12Sir Frederick Weld16 May 188017 October 1887Dorset, EnglandGovernor of Tasmania13Sir Cecil Clementi Smith17 October 188730 August 1893London, EnglandColonial Secretaryof Straits Settlements—William Edward Maxwell30 August 18931 February 1894unknown14Sir Charles MitchellDied while in office1 February 18947 December 1899London, EnglandGovernor of Natal—James Alexander Swettenham7 December 18995 November 1901Derbyshire, EnglandColonial Secretaryof Straits SettlementsEdward VII15Sir Frank Swettenham5 November 190116 April 1904Derbyshire, EnglandResident-Generalof the Federated Malay States16Sir John Anderson16 April 19042 September 1911Aberdeenshire, ScotlandColonial administratorGeorge V17Sir Arthur Henderson Young2 September 191117 February 1920unknownResident-Generalof the Federated Malay States18Sir Laurence Guillemard17 February 19203 June 1927unknownColonial administrator19Sir Hugh Clifford3 June 192721 October 1929London, EnglandGovernor of British Ceylon—Sir John Scott21 October 19295 February 1930unknownColonial Secretaryof Straits Settlements20Sir Cecil Clementi5 February 193017 February 1934Cawnpore, British IndiaGovernor of Hong Kong—Sir Andrew Caldecott17 February 19349 November 1934Kent, EnglandColonial Secretaryof Straits SettlementsSir Shenton Thomas9 November 193415 February 1942London, EnglandGovernor of the Gold Coast21Edward VIIIGeorge VI Japanese occupation of Singapore From 15 February 1942 to 12 September 1945. British Military Administration of the Straits Settlements From 12 September 1945 to 31 March 1946.George VI—Lord Louis Mountbatten12 September 194531 March 1946Berkshire, EnglandSupreme Allied Commanderof the Southeast Asia Theatre British Straits Settlements 21Sir Shenton Thomas12 September 194531 March 1946London, EnglandColonial administrator Singapore became a separate Crown Colony

See also

Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements List of Chief Secretaries of Singapore Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements Governors of Singapore History of Singapore History of Malaysia Governor of Penang

References

Further reading WorldStatesmen - Singapore Historical Dictionary of Singapore (Justin Corfield)