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List of colonial governors of Virginia

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For the modern elected office, see Governor of Virginia
Governor of the Colony of Virginia
Royal Coat of Arms of the Colony of Virginia, 1620-1776
Flag of the Virginia Company, c. 1620
Longest-Serving
Sir William Berkeley
1642-1652, 1660-1677
TypeColonial Governor
StatusAbolished
Member ofGeneral Court of Virginia
SeatJamestown, Virginia 1619-1699
Williamsburg, Virginia 1699-1776
AppointerBritish Monarch
Formation1607
First holderEdward Maria Wingfield
Final holderJohn Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore
Abolished1776 (de facto)
1783 (de jure)
Superseded byGovernor of Virginia

The Governor of the Colony of Virginia was the appointed head of government of the British Colony of Virginia. The title "Governor of Virginia" saw sporadic use beginning in 1585 to describe various kinds of leadership positions in the New World, including of the Roanoke Colony and the Virginia Company. The position was formally defined in 1624, when Virginia became a crown colony and its governor became an appointed position subordinate to the British Monarch.

As in other British colonies, the Governor had broad authority to impose the will of the Monarch on the colonists. The Governor was ex officio president of the General Court of Virginia and was advised by the Virginia Governor's Council. They also possessed veto power over the elected House of Burgesses.

Some Governors never visited the New World and governed through deputies resident in the colony. Others held the role for many years but were in Virginia for only a short portion of time and usually delegated responsibilities to others. Therefore, in many documents and references, the deputies and lieutenant governors who had the primary responsibility in Virginia are also often titled simply "governor."

Lord Dunmore served as the colony's last royal governor. His actions in the face of the crown's unpopularity, including dissolving the House of Burgesses and imposing martial law, proved deeply unpopular, leading to the Virginia Conventions. Dunmore fled in 1776, and the Convention formally recognized Patrick Henry as the first Governor of Virginia under the newly-established Constitution of Virginia. Though the office was de facto abolished during the Revolutionary War, Britain formally abolished the office following their recognition of American independence in the Treaty of Paris.

Governor of Virginia (1585–1590)

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The first English attempt to colonize Virginia was the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke. Unsuccessful settlements were established under two different governors, and the final fate of the colonists remains unknown.

Virginia Company of London Governors (1607–1624)

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From 1606 until 1624, Proprietary Governors oversaw the operation of the Virginia Colony. Most were styled "President of the Council", although some were styled "governor" by the proprietors.

Captain John Smith, from his 1614 map of New England
  1. President of the Council Edward Maria Wingfield (1607)
  2. President of the Council John Ratcliffe (1608)
  3. Acting President Matthew Scrivener (1608)
  4. President of the Council John Smith (1608–1609)
  5. President of the Council George Percy (1609–1610)
  6. Lord Governor and Captain General Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr (1609–1618, sometimes absentee)
    1. Deputy Governor Sir Thomas Gates (May–June 1610)
    2. Deputy Governor George Percy (March–May 1611)
    3. Acting Governor Sir Thomas Dale (May–August 1611)
    4. Acting Governor Sir Thomas Gates (1611–1613)
    5. Acting Governor Sir Thomas Dale (1613–1616)
    6. Lieutenant Governor Sir George Yeardley (1616–1617)
    7. Lieutenant Governor Sir Samuel Argall (1617–1619)
    8. Acting Governor Captain Nathaniel Powell (April 1619)
  7. Governor Sir George Yeardley (1619–1621)
  8. Governor Sir Francis Wyatt (1621–1624)

Crown Governors (1624–1652)

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After the Virginia Company of London lost its proprietary charter in 1624, the colony was taken over by the English Crown, and became a crown colony. Governors were appointed by the ruling monarch to oversee the interests of the Crown. During the interregnum period (1649–1660), when England came under commonwealth rule and the protectorate rule of Oliver and Richard Cromwell, those governments appointed Virginia's governors.[citation needed] William Berkeley, who was governor at the time of the execution of King Charles I, remained in office until the arrival of a Commonwealth fleet in 1651 led to his removal. Berkeley was returned to office by votes of the Virginia assembly and by appointment of the restored King Charles II in 1660.

Commonwealth and Protectorate Governors (1652–1660)

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Crown Governors (1660–1775)

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bruce, Philip Alexander; Stanard, William Glover (11 April 1894). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Virginia Historical Society. p. 34. Retrieved 11 April 2018 – via Internet Archive. nicholas spencer acting governor virginia.
  2. ^ Spencer, Nicholas (11 April 2018). "Letter from Nicholas Spencer to His Brother". The William and Mary Quarterly. 3 (2): 134–136. doi:10.2307/1921516. JSTOR 1921516.
  3. ^ "Historic Christ Church & Museum, located in Weems, VA". Historic Christ Church. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Burwell, Lewis (1711 or 1712–1756)". www.encyclopediavirginia.org. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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