Governor of Bermuda

The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the Governor is to act as the "de facto" head of state, and he or she is responsible for appointing the Premier and the 11 members of the Senate (the upper house of Bermuda's Parliament).

The current Governor is Sir Richard Gozney; he was sworn-in on December 12, 2007 [Smith, Tim. [http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d7c64a30030000&sectionId=60 The Royal Gazette] : Breaking News: New Governor sworn in. 12 December 2007. Accessed 13 December 2007] .

The Governor has his own flag in Bermuda, the Union Flag defaced with the territory's coat of arms.

History

The first Governor was appointed in 1612. As Bermuda is one of the UK's oldest colonies, there have been a number of Governors appointed to the territory since then, usually prominent Royal Navy captains, as a reward on retirement.

On March 10, 1973, the 121st Governor, Richard Sharples, and his aide-de-camp Captain Hugh Sayers, were assassinated in a racist attack by a Bermudian black activist named Buck Burrows and an accomplice, Larry Tacklin who were members of the Black Beret Cadres. Under British law the assassination of the head of state was and is still a capital offence, and after much debate due to the controversial moral issues raised, the sentence stood despite a 6,000-strong petition from Bermudians to the Queen. Both men were hanged in 1977 for the killings and other murders, sparking riots throughout Bermuda. Buck Burrows explained in his confession that he had killed the Governor to prove that he was not untouchable and that white-dominated politics was infallible.

List of Governors of Bermuda

# 1612 Richard Moore
# 1616 Daniel Tucker
# 1619 Nathaniel Butler
# 1622 Capt. John Bernard
# 1623 Capt. Henry Woodhouse
# 1626 Capt. Philip Bell
# 1629 Capt. Roger Wood
# 1637 Capt. Thomas Chaddock
# 1641 Capt. William Sayer
# 1642 Capt. Josias Forster
# 1643 Capt. William Sayer
# 1644 A Triumvirate: William Sayer
# 1645 Capt. Josias Forster
# 1645 The Triumvirate
# 1647 Capt. Thomas Turner
# 1649 John Trimingham (Elected by the People)
# 1650 Capt. Josias Forster
# 1659 Capt. William Sayer
# 1663 Capt. F. Seymour
# 1668 S. Whalley
# 1669 Sir John Heydon
# 1681 Capt. F. Seymour
# 1683 Col. Richard Coney
# 1687-1690 Sir Richard Robinson
# 1691-1693 Isaac Richier
# 1693-1698 Capt. John Goddard
# 1698-1700 Samuel Day
# 1701-1713 Capt. Benjamin Bennett
# 1713-1718 Henry Pulleine
# 1718-1722 Capt. Benjamin Bennett
# 1722-1727 Sir John Hope
# 1727-1728 John Trimingham
# 1728-1737 Capt. John Pitt
# 1737-1738 Andrew Auchinleck
# 1738-1744 Alured Popple
# 1744-1747 Francis Jones
# 1747-1751 William Popple
# 1751-1755 Francis Jones
# 1755-1763 William Popple
# 1763-1764 Francis Jones
# 1764-1780 George James Bruere
# 1780 Thomas Jones
# 1780-1781 George James Bruere
# 1872-1788 William Browne
# 1788-1794 Henry Hamilton (Lt. Gov.)
# 1794-1796 James Crawford
# 1796 Henry Tucker
# 1796 William Campbell
# 1796-17~8 Henry Tucker
# 1798-1803 George Beckwith
# 1803-1805 Henry Tucker
# 1805-1806 Francis Gore (Lt. Gov.)
# 1806 Henry Tucker
# 1806-1810 John Hodgson
# 1810-1811 Samuel Trott
# 1811-1812 Sir James Cockburn
# 1812 William Smith
# 1812-1816 George Horsford (Lt. Gov.)
# 1814-1816 Sir James Cockburn
# 1816-1817 William Smith
# 1817-1819 Sir James Cockburn
# 1819 William Smith
# 1819-1822 Sir William Lumley
# 1822-1823 William Smith
# 1823-1825 Sir William Lumley
# 1825-1826 William Smith
# 1826-1829 Sir Hilgrove Turner
# 1829 Robert Kennedy (Act. Gov.)
# 1829-1830 Sir Hilgrove Turner
# 1830 Robert Kennedy (Act. Gov.)
# 1830-1832 Sir Hilgrove Turner
# 1832-1835 Sir R.S. Chapman
# 1835 Henry G. Hunt (Act. Gov.)
# 1835-1836 Robert Kennedy
# 1836-1839 Sir R.S. Chapman
# 1839-1846 Lt. Col. William Reid
# 1846 W.N. Hutchinson
# 1846-1852 Sir Charles Elliot
# 1852-1853 W. Hassell Eden (Act. Gov.)
# 1853 George Philpots (Act. Gov.)
# 1853 Soulden Oakley (Act. Gov.)
# 1853 Thomas C. Robe (Act. Gov.)
# 1853 Soulden Oakley (Act. Gov.)
# 1853-1854 Sir Charles Elliot
# 1854 Montgomery Williams (Act. Gov.)
# 1854-1859 Col. Freeman Murray
# 1859 AT. Heniphill (Act. Gov.)
# 1859-1860 William Munroe
# 1860-1861 Col. Freeman Murray
# 1861-1864 Col. H. St. George Ord
# 1864 William Munroe (Act. Gov.)
# 1864-1865 W.H. Hamley (Lt. Gov.)
# 1865-1866 Col. H. St. George Ord
# 1866-1867 W.H. Hamley (Lt. Gov.)
# 1867 Arnold Thompson (Act. Gov.)
# 1867-1870 Sir F. E. Chapman
# 1870 W. F. Brett (Lt. Gov.)
# 1871-1877 Maj. Gen. Sir J.H Lefroy
# 1877-1882 Lt. Gen. Thomas L. J. Gaiwey
# 1888-1891 Lt. Gen. Edward Newdigate Newdegate
# 1892-1896 Lt. Gen. C. Lyons
# 1896-1901 Lt. Gen. O. Digby Barker
# 1902-1904 Lt. Gen. Sir Henry LeGuay Geary
# 1904-1907 Lt. Gen. Sir Robert M. Steward
# 1907-1908 Lt. Gen. Sir Josceline H. Wodehouse
# 1908-1912 Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick Walter Kitchener
# 1912-1917 Lt. Gen. Sir George M. Bullock
# 1917-1922 Gen. Sir James Willcocks
# 1922-1927 Lt. Gen. Sir J. J. Asser
# 1927-1931 Lt. Gen. Sir Louis Jean Bols
# 1931-1936 Lt. Gen. Sir Thomas Astley-Cuhhitt
# 1936-1939 Lt. Gen. Reginald Heldyard
# 1939-1941 Lt. Gen. Sir Denis John Charles Kirwan Bernard
# 1941-1943 The Rt. Hon. Viscount Knollys
# 1943-1945 The Rt. Hon. Lord Burghley
# 1946-1949 Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham
# 1949-1955 Lt. Gen. Sir Alexander Hood
# 1955-1959 Lt. Gen. Sir John Woodall
# 1959-1964 Maj. Gen. Sir Julian Gascoigne
# 1964-1972 The Rt. Hon. Lord Martonmere, GBE, KCMG, PC
# 1972-1973 Sir Richard Sharples, KCMG, OBE , MC (assassinated)
# 1973-1977 Sir Edwin Leather, KCMG, KCVO
# 1977-1980 The Hon. Sir Peter Ramsbotham, GCMG, GCVO
# 1980-1983 Sir Richard Posnett, KBE , CMG
# 1983-1988 Viscount Dunrossil, CMG
# 1988-1992 Major-Gen Sir Desmond Langley, KCVO, MBE
# 1992-1997 The Rt Hon Lord Waddington, GCVO, PC, QC
# 1997-2002 Mr Thorold Masefield, CMG
# 2002-12 October 2007 Sir John Vereker, KCB
#12 October 2007-12 December 2007 Mark Capes ("acting")
# 12 December 2007 - "present" Sir Richard Gozney, KCMG

ources

* [http://www.gov.bm/portal/server.pt?space=Opener&control=OpenObject&cached=true&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=0&in_hi_ClassID=514&in_hi_userid=2&in_hi_ObjectID=657&in_hi_OpenerMode=2& Government of Bermuda- list of Governors]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/10/newsid_2798000/2798039.stm BBC News- "British officials shot dead in Bermuda"]
* [http://www.bermuda-online.org/colonial.htm Bermuda and Great Britain] ; Bermuda Online Portal

External links

* [http://www.gov.bm/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=310&&activetab=TabCTRL_DropDownTabsGovernment1&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true Government of Bermuda - Governor's Biography]