Thegovernor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by theBritish East India Company until 1867, when theStraits Settlements became aCrown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by theColonial Office. The position existed from 1826 to 1946. Between 1942 and 1945 the office was not filled, as the Straits Settlements was underJapanese occupation. From the late 19th century onward, the governor of the Straits Settlements was usually alsoBritish High Commissioner in Malaya andBrunei andBritish Agent forSarawak andBritish North Borneo.[1]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born–Died) | Term of office | Origin | Background or previous appointment | Monarch | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Duration | ||||||
| 1 | Robert Fullerton (1773–1831) | 27 November 1826 | 12 November 1830 | 3 years, 11 months | Edinburgh, Scotland | Second Member of Council, and President of the Board of Trade | George IV | |
William IV | ||||||||
| 2 | Robert Ibbetson (1789–1880) | 12 November 1830 | 7 December 1833 | 3 years, 25 days | England | Resident Councillor of Prince of Wales Island | ||
| 3 | Kenneth Murchison (1794–1854) | 7 December 1833 | 17 November 1836 | 2 years, 11 months | Scotland | Resident Councillor of Straits Settlements | ||
| 4 | Sir Samuel George Bonham (1803–1863) | 18 November 1836 | January 1843 | ~ 6 years, 1 month | Kent, England | Resident Councillor of Straits Settlements | ||
Victoria | ||||||||
| 5 | Major GeneralWilliam John Butterworth (1801–1856) | August 1843 | 21 March 1855 | ~ 11 years, 9 months | Unknown | Lieutenant-Colonel of the 38th Madras Regiment | ||
| 6 | Edmund Augustus Blundell (1804–1868) | 21 March 1855 | 6 August 1859 | 4 years, 4 months | Somerset, England | Resident Councillor of Penang | ||
| 7 | Major General SirWilliam Orfeur Cavenagh (1820–1891) | 6 August 1859 | 16 March 1867 | 7 years, 7 months | Kent, England | British Indian Army | ||
| 8 | Major General SirHarry St. George Ord (1819–1885) | 16 March 1867 | 4 March 1871 | 3 years, 11 months | Kent, England | Special Commissioner to West Africa | ||
| — | Major GeneralEdward Archibald Harbord Anson (1826–1925) 1st time Acting | 4 March 1871 | 22 March 1872 | 1 year and 18 days | London, England | Lieutenant Governor of Penang | ||
| 8 | Major General SirHarry St. George Ord (1819–1885) | 22 March 1872 | 3 November 1873 | 1 year, 7 months | Kent, England | Colonial administrator | ||
| — | Major GeneralEdward Archibald Harbord Anson (1826–1925) 2nd time Acting | 3 November 1873 | 4 November 1873 | 1 day | London, England | Lieutenant Governor of Penang | ||
| 9 | SirAndrew Clarke (1824–1902) | 4 November 1873 | 8 May 1875 | 1 year, 6 months | Hampshire, England | Director of Works at the Admiralty | ||
| 10 | SirWilliam Jervois (1821–1897) | 8 May 1875 | 3 April 1877 | 1 year, 10 months | Isle of Wight, England | Colonel of the Royal Engineers | ||
| — | Major GeneralEdward Archibald Harbord Anson (1826–1925) 3rd time Acting | 3 April 1877 | August 1877 | ~ 4 months | London, England | Lieutenant Governor of Penang | ||
| 11 | SirWilliam Cleaver Francis Robinson (1834–1897) | August 1877 | 10 February 1879 | ~ 1 year, 5 months | County Westmeath, Ireland | Governor of Western Australia | ||
| — | Major GeneralEdward Archibald Harbord Anson (1826–1925) 4th time Acting | 10 February 1879 | 16 May 1880 | 1 year, 3 months | London, England | Lieutenant Governor of Penang | ||
| 12 | SirFrederick Weld (1823–1891) | 16 May 1880 | 17 October 1887 | 7 years, 5 months | Dorset, England | Governor of Tasmania | ||
| 13 | SirCecil Clementi Smith (1840–1916) | 17 October 1887 | 30 August 1893 | 5 years, 10 months | London, England | Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements | ||
| — | William Edward Maxwell (1846–1897) Acting | 30 August 1893 | 1 February 1894 | 5 months and 2 days | unknown | Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements | ||
| 14 | SirCharles Mitchell (1836–1899) Died while in office | 1 February 1894 | 7 December 1899 | 5 years, 10 months | London, England | Governor of Natal | ||
| — | James Alexander Swettenham (1846–1933) Acting | 7 December 1899 | 5 November 1901 | 1 year, 10 months | Derbyshire, England | Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements | ||
Edward VII | ||||||||
| 15 | SirFrank Swettenham (1850–1946) | 5 November 1901 | 16 April 1904 | 2 years, 5 months | Derbyshire, England | Resident-General of the Federated Malay States | ||
| 16 | SirJohn Anderson (1858–1918) | 16 April 1904 | 2 September 1911 | 7 years, 4 months | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Colonial administrator | ||
George V | ||||||||
| 17 | SirArthur Henderson Young (1854–1938) | 2 September 1911 | 17 February 1920 | 8 years, 5 months | unknown | Resident-General of the Federated Malay States | ||
| 18 | SirLaurence Guillemard (1862–1951) | 17 February 1920 | 3 June 1927 | 7 years, 3 months | unknown | Colonial administrator | ||
| 19 | SirHugh Clifford (1866–1941) | 3 June 1927 | 21 October 1929 | 2 years, 4 months | London, England | Governor of British Ceylon | ||
| — | SirJohn Scott (1878–1946) Acting | 21 October 1929 | 5 February 1930 | 3 months and 15 days | unknown | Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements | ||
| 20 | SirCecil Clementi (1875–1947) | 5 February 1930 | 17 February 1934 | 4 years and 12 days | Cawnpore, British India | Governor of Hong Kong | ||
| — | SirAndrew Caldecott (1884–1951) Acting | 17 February 1934 | 9 November 1934 | 8 months and 23 days | Kent, England | Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements | ||
| SirShenton Thomas (1879–1962) | 9 November 1934 | 15 February 1942 | 7 years, 3 months | London, England | Governor of the Gold Coast | |||
| 21 | ||||||||
From 15 February 1942 to 12 September 1945. | ||||||||
From 12 September 1945 to 31 March 1946. | George VI | |||||||
| — | Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900–1979) British High Command | 12 September 1945 | 31 March 1946 | 6 months and 19 days | Berkshire, England | Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Theatre | ||
| 21 | SirShenton Thomas (1879–1962) | 12 September 1945 | 31 March 1946 | 6 months and 19 days | London, England | Colonial administrator | ||