Lieut-Governor

Lieut-Governor

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, holder of the office from 2017 to 2022

Separate posts of Governor were created for Jersey and Guernsey in the mid-15th Century, to replace the Warden of the Isles who had previously had responsibility for the two Bailwicks. But just as many Wardens rarely visited the islands and relied on sub-Wardens to represent them, so many Governors were represented in Jersey by a Lieut-Governor. On several occasions the office was conferred on the serving Bailiff, giving him total control over island affairs. After 1854, with the death of William Carr Beresford, there were no further appointments of a Governor and, since then, the representative of the Sovereign in the island has been the Lieut-Governor.

In the early days the appointment held military significance and was frequently held by a senior officer in the Armed Forces, usually a General, who was in command of the island garrison. Today the post is largely ceremonial, and is held by a recently retired senior officer, although theoretically it is now open to retired senior civil servants.

Lieut-Governors

17th Century

• George Paulet
• John Peyton
• Aaron Messervy
• Philippe de Carteret
• Elias de Carteret
• Joshua de Carteret
• Francis Raynsford
• Philipp de Carteret
• Philipp Marett
• Leonard Lydcott
• Sir George de Carteret
• Sir Herbert Lunsford
• Henry Boade
• Rowland Watson
• Dominick Trant
• John Sydenham
• Sir Thomas Windham
• Sir Bevil Granville
• Edward Harris 1690
• Thomas Collier 1695 - 1704

18th Century

• Nicolas de la Noe
• George Dumaresq
• Lucas Spicer
• Robert Wilson
• Henry Berkley
• John Crosby
• John Broughton
• John Skyes
• Magnus Kempenfelt 1723 -
• George Howard 1730-1731
• William Hargrave (acting) 1730 -
• Peter Betsweorth
• Edmund Fielding
• Jean Cavalier 1738 – 1740
• Jean Charlton
• Francis Best
• Gregory Beake
• John Huske 1749
• William Deane 1749 - 1753
• George Collingwood 1753 -
• Thomas Ball 1768 - 1770
• Rudolph Bentinck (acting) 1770 - 1771
• Moyse Corbet 1771 - 1781
• Philippe Fall 1781 - 1797
• Andrew Gordon 1797 - 1806

19th Century

• Sir George Don 1806 - 1814
• Sir Tomkyns Hilgrove Turner 1814 - 1816
• Sir Hugh Mackay Gordon 1816 - 1821
• Sir Colin Halkett 1821 - 1830
• Sir William Thornton 1830 - 1835
• Sir Archibald Campbell 1835 - 1838
• Sir Edward Gibbs 1838 - 1847
• Sir James Henry Reynett 1847 - 1852
• Sir James Frederick Love 1852 - 1857
• Godfrey Charles Mundy 1857 - 1860
• Sir Robert Percy Douglas 1860 - 1862
• B Loch (acting) 1862 - 1863
• Burke Douglas Cuppage 1863 - 1869
• Philip Melmoth Nelson Guy 1869 - 1873
• Sir William Sherbrooke Ramsay Norcott 1873 - 1878
• Lothian Nicholson 1878 - 1883
• Henry Wray 1883 - 1887
• Charles Brisbane Ewart 1887 - 1892
• Edwin Markham 1892 - 1895
• Sir Edward Hopton 1895 - 1900

Maj General Gough

William Sherbrook Norcott

20th Century

• Henry Richard Abadie 1900 – 1904
• Hugh Sutley Gough 1904 - 1910
• Sir Alexander Nelson Rochfort 1910 - 1916
• Sir Alexander Wilson 1916 - 1920
• Sir William Douglas Smith 1920 - 1924
• Sir Francis Richard Bingham 1924 - 1929
• Edward Henry Willis 1929 - 1934
• Sir Horace de Courcey Martelli 1934 - 1939
• James Murray Robert Harrison 1939 - 1940
• Alexander Coutanche 1940-1945
• Sir Arthur Edward Grasett 1945 - 1953
• Sir Randolph Stewart Gresham Nicholson 1953 - 1958
• General Sir George Erskine 1958 - 1963
• Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Villiers 1964 - 1969
• Air Chief Marshal Sir John Davis 1969 - 1974
• General Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick 1974 - 1979
• General Sir Peter John Frederick Whiteley 1979 - 1984
• Admiral Sir William Thomas Pillar 1985 - 1990
• Air Chief Marshal Sir John Sutton 1990 - 1995
• General Sir Michael Wilkes 1995 - 2000

21st Century

• Air Chief Marshal Sir John Cheshire 2001 - 2006
• Lieut-General Sir Andrew Ridgway 2006 - 2011
• General Sir John Mc Coll 2011 - 2016
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton 2017 - 2022

Nicholson swearing-in in 1953

Sir William Pillar takes the oath of office in the Royal Court in 1985

Hugh Sutley Gough

Arthur Edward Grasett