Governor of Bermuda

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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^[1] .

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

Contents 1 History 2 List of Governors of Bermuda 3 Sources 4 External links

[edit] History

Bermuda's settlement began in 1609, with the wrecking of the flag ship of the Virginia Company, the Sea Venture. Although most of the passengers and crew ultimately completed their voyage to Virginia, the archipelago was permanently settled from that point, and left in the hands of the Virginia Company. The first intentional settlers arrived in 1612, under the colony's first Governor, Richard Moore. A carpenter by trade, Moore ensured the long-term survival of the colony by concentrating on building fortifications, including the first stone forts in the English New World, and developing St. George's Town.

Bermuda was the second permanent English colony established (as an extension of the first, Jamestown, Virginia). Bermuda was administered by the Virginia Company, and its successor, the Somers Isles Company, 'til 1684. The companies appointed the colony's governors 'til the Crown took over administration. The Crown maintained the system of government established under the company; an elected parliament and a privy council under a governor. The Privy Council was also known as the Governor's Council. The last company-appointed Governor was reappointed by the Crown. In 1707 the British State was created by the union of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland, and Bermuda thereby became a British colony. Since the 1783 independence of Virginia, it has been the Britain's oldest colony. Following US independence, Bermuda became an important Royal Navy base, with a large military garrison to guard it. ^[2] As such, the policy of the government 'til the closure of the Royal Naval dockyard in 1953 had been to appoint retiring Generals or Admirals as Bermuda's Governor and Commander-in-Chief. On the rare occasions when a civilian was appointed to the role, it was only as Governor - the role of Commander-in-Chief being filled by a serving General or Admiral in Bermuda or Newfoundland. Since the 1950s, those appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief have tended to be prominent career-politicians at the ends of their political lives.

Prior to the creation of the Parliament of Bermuda, the House of Assembly, in 1620, the Governors ruled supreme, and were often draconian. Governor Daniel Tucker, formerly of Virginia, who arrived in 1616, was notorious for his harshness, having many islanders hanged, maimed, or whipped on the slightest provocation. One Bermudian, John Wood, was hanged for airing his views on the Governor in church. Governor Tucker's personal boat was reportedly stolen by five islanders, one named Sauders, who left a note saying they were on their way to England, or Davy Jones' Locker, either place being preferable to Bermuda under Tucker's rule. On reaching England, they complained about the harshness of Tucker's rule, though their complaints fell on deaf ears. Governor Tucker also, reportedly, used his oversight of the surveying of Bermuda to enrich himself and future generations of Bermudian Tuckers with prime real estate.

For the remainder of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, the real political power in Bermuda lay in the elected parliament and the appointed Council, both dominated by members of Bermuda's wealthy commercial class. Governor's who were too high-handed or injudicious in the exercise of their office occassionally fell foul of the local political institutions. Governor Isaac Richier, who arrived in 1691, quickly made himself unpopular with his carousing and criminal behaviour. Bermudian complaints saw him placed in jail, and replaced by Governor Goddard. When Goddard proved worse than Richier, attorney general Samuel Trott had him jailed alongside richier. The two governors were to be tried before a pair of prominent Bermudians, John Trimmingham and William Butterfield. After Trott called the amateur judges bush lawyers, however, he found himself in St. George's jail along side the governors. After they confided in him their plan for escape, Trott informed the judges. Richier and Goddard were sent back to England for trial. ^[3]

At the written request of George Washington, during the course of the American War of Independence, one-hundred barrels of gunpowder were stolen from a magazine in St. George's and provided to the American rebels. No one was ever prosecuted in relation to this act of treason. The theft had been the result of a conspiracy involving powerful Bermudians, who were motivated as much by Bermuda's desperate plight, denied her primary trading partner and source of food, as by any favourable sentiments they may have had in regard to either the American colonists or their cause. Following this, Bermudians and their political institutions were looked at suspiciously by the British Government.

With the build up of the naval and military bases on the island following American independence, the position of the Governor was enhanced. Despite this, the Governors - appointed by the Crown - remained largely dependant on the Bermudian parliament to pass laws and to provide funds. This fact often found Governors pleading in vain for the required acts of parliament or money to carry out policies determined at Government House, or in London. This was particularly noticeable in the Bermudian Parliament's neglect to maintain militia, which (other than during the course of the American War of 1812), it allowed to become moribund after the build-up of the naval and military base began in 1795.

Attempts to raise militias directly under the control of the Governor, without acts of the local parliament, ultimately failed because the parliament did not provide funds. In the 1860s, it became the policy of the British Government to reduce the costly professional military garrison in Bermuda. As it was not wished to leave the colony, seen more as a naval base, unguarded, this could only be done if the professional soldiers were replaced with part-time Volunteer units. Successive governors were set the task of convincing the Bermudian parliament to raise the required units, but, concerned of being saddled with the cost of maintaining the entire garrison, as well as with the possibility for social disruption that could be caused by raising either racially-segregated or integrated units, the Bermudian Parliamentarians simply refused. This state of affairs continued until the Secretary of State for War found a lever to blackmail the Bermuda Parliament with in 1892, when it finally passed acts for the creation of volunteer forces (although the units would be entirely funded by the British Government). ^[4]

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 Bermudian law at the time, premeditated murder was a capital offence, and death sentences were often handed out, though routinely commuted. No death sentence had been carried out since the 1940s. 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 fallible. He was also found guilty of murdering the police commissioner, George Duckett, six months earlier on 9 September 1972, and of killing the co-owner and bookkeeper of a supermarket called the Shopping Centre, Victor Rego and Mark Doe in April 1973.

[edit] List of Governors of Bermuda

Bermuda

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Bermuda

Governor Sir Richard Gozney Premier Ewart Brown Parliament Senate House of Assembly Political parties Elections Parishes and municipalities Law

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1. 1612 Richard Moore
2. 1616 Daniel Tucker
3. 1619 Nathaniel Butler
4. 1622 Capt. John Bernard
5. 1623 Capt. Henry Woodhouse
6. 1626 Capt. Philip Bell
7. 1629 Capt. Roger Wood
8. 1637 Capt. Thomas Chaddock
9. 1641 Capt. William Sayer
10. 1642 Capt. Josias Forster
11. 1643 Capt. William Sayer
12. 1644 A Triumvirate: William Sayer
13. 1645 Capt. Josias Forster
14. 1645 The Triumvirate
15. 1647 Capt. Thomas Turner
16. 1649 John Trimingham (Elected by the People)
17. 1650 Capt. Josias Forster
18. 1659 Capt. William Sayer
19. 1663 Capt. F. Seymour
20. 1668 S. Whalley
21. 1669 Sir John Heydon
22. 1681 Capt. F. Seymour
23. 1683 Col. Richard Coney
24. 1687-1690 Sir Richard Robinson
25. 1691-1693 Isaac Richier
26. 1693-1698 Capt. John Goddard
27. 1698-1700 Samuel Day
28. 1701-1713 Capt. Benjamin Bennett
29. 1713-1718 Henry Pulleine
30. 1718-1722 Capt. Benjamin Bennett
31. 1722-1727 Sir John Hope
32. 1727-1728 John Trimingham
33. 1728-1737 Capt. John Pitt
34. 1737-1738 Andrew Auchinleck
35. 1738-1744 Alured Popple
36. 1744-1747 Francis Jones
37. 1747-1751 William Popple
38. 1751-1755 Francis Jones
39. 1755-1763 William Popple
40. 1763-1764 Francis Jones
41. 1764-1780 George James Bruere
42. 1780 Thomas Jones
43. 1780-1781 George James Bruere
44. 1872-1788 William Browne
45. 1788-1794 Henry Hamilton (Lt. Gov.)
46. 1794-1796 James Crawford
47. 1796 Henry Tucker
48. 1796 William Campbell
49. 1796-17~8 Henry Tucker
50. 1798-1803 George Beckwith
51. 1803-1805 Henry Tucker
52. 1805-1806 Francis Gore (Lt. Gov.)
53. 1806 Henry Tucker
54. 1806-1810 John Hodgson
55. 1810-1811 Samuel Trott
56. 1811-1812 Sir James Cockburn
57. 1812 William Smith
58. 1812-1816 George Horsford (Lt. Gov.)
59. 1814-1816 Sir James Cockburn
60. 1816-1817 William Smith
61. 1817-1819 Sir James Cockburn
62. 1819 William Smith
63. 1819-1822 Sir William Lumley
64. 1822-1823 William Smith
65. 1823-1825 Sir William Lumley
66. 1825-1826 William Smith
67. 1826-1829 Sir Hilgrove Turner
68. 1829 Robert Kennedy (Act. Gov.)
69. 1829-1830 Sir Hilgrove Turner
70. 1830 Robert Kennedy (Act. Gov.)
71. 1830-1832 Sir Hilgrove Turner
72. 1832-1835 Sir R.S. Chapman
73. 1835 Henry G. Hunt (Act. Gov.)
74. 1835-1836 Robert Kennedy
75. 1836-1839 Sir R.S. Chapman
76. 1839-1846 Lt. Col. William Reid
77. 1846 W.N. Hutchinson
78. 1846-1852 Sir Charles Elliot
79. 1852-1853 W. Hassell Eden (Act. Gov.)
80. 1853 George Philpots (Act. Gov.)
81. 1853 Soulden Oakley (Act. Gov.)
82. 1853 Thomas C. Robe (Act. Gov.)
83. 1853 Soulden Oakley (Act. Gov.)
84. 1853-1854 Sir Charles Elliot
85. 1854 Montgomery Williams (Act. Gov.)
86. 1854-1859 Col. Freeman Murray
87. 1859 AT. Heniphill (Act. Gov.)
88. 1859-1860 William Munroe
89. 1860-1861 Col. Freeman Murray
90. 1861-1864 Col. H. St. George Ord
91. 1864 William Munroe (Act. Gov.)
92. 1864-1865 W.H. Hamley (Lt. Gov.)
93. 1865-1866 Col. H. St. George Ord
94. 1866-1867 W.H. Hamley (Lt. Gov.)
95. 1867 Arnold Thompson (Act. Gov.)
96. 1867-1870 Sir F. E. Chapman
97. 1870 W. F. Brett (Lt. Gov.)
98. 1871-1877 Maj. Gen. Sir J.H Lefroy
99. 1877-1882 Lt. Gen. Thomas L. J. Gaiwey
100. 1888-1891 Lt. Gen. Edward Newdigate Newdegate
101. 1892-1896 Lt. Gen. C. Lyons
102. 1896-1901 Lt. Gen. O. Digby Barker
103. 1902-1904 Lt. Gen. Sir Henry LeGuay Geary
104. 1904-1907 Lt. Gen. Sir Robert M. Steward
105. 1907-1908 Lt. Gen. Sir Josceline H. Wodehouse
106. 1908-1912 Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick Walter Kitchener
107. 1912-1917 Lt. Gen. Sir George M. Bullock
108. 1917-1922 Gen. Sir James Willcocks
109. 1922-1927 Lt. Gen. Sir J. J. Asser
110. 1927-1931 Lt. Gen. Sir Louis Jean Bols
111. 1931-1936 Lt. Gen. Sir Thomas Astley-Cuhhitt
112. 1936-1939 Lt. Gen. Reginald Heldyard
113. 1939-1941 Lt. Gen. Sir Denis John Charles Kirwan Bernard
114. 1941-1943 The Rt. Hon. Viscount Knollys
115. 1943-1945 The Rt. Hon. Lord Burghley
116. 1946-1949 Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham
117. 1949-1955 Lt. Gen. Sir Alexander Hood
118. 1955-1959 Lt. Gen. Sir John Woodall
119. 1959-1964 Maj. Gen. Sir Julian Gascoigne
120. 1964-1972 The Rt. Hon. Lord Martonmere, GBE, KCMG, PC
121. 1972-1973 Sir Richard Sharples, KCMG, OBE , MC (assassinated)
122. 1973-1977 Sir Edwin Leather, KCMG, KCVO
123. 1977-1980 The Hon. Sir Peter Ramsbotham, GCMG, GCVO
124. 1980-1983 Sir Richard Posnett, KBE , CMG
125. 1983-1988 Viscount Dunrossil, CMG
126. 1988-1992 Major-Gen Sir Desmond Langley, KCVO, MBE
127. 1992-1997 The Rt Hon Lord Waddington, GCVO, PC, QC
128. 1997-2002 Mr Thorold Masefield, CMG
129. 2002-12 October 2007 Sir John Vereker, KCB
130. 12 October 2007-12 December 2007 Mark Capes (acting)
131. 12 December 2007 - present Sir Richard Gozney KCMG

[edit] Sources

• Government of Bermuda- list of Governors
• BBC News- "British officials shot dead in Bermuda"

Bermuda and Great Britain; Bermuda Online Portal

1. ^ Smith, Tim. The Royal Gazette: Breaking News: New Governor sworn in. 12 December 2007. Accessed 13 December 2007
2. ^ "The Andrew And The Onions: The Story Of The Royal Navy In Bermuda, 1795 – 1975", Lt. Commander Ian Strannack, The Bermuda Maritime Museum Press, The Bermuda Maritime Museum, P.O. Box MA 133, Mangrove Bay, Bermuda MA BX.
3. ^ "Bermuda in Three Colours", Carveth Wells. Robert M. McBride & Company, New York. 1935.
4. ^ "Defence, Not Defiance: A History Of The Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps", Jennifer M. Ingham (now Jennifer M. Hind), ISBN 0-9696517-1-6. Printed by The Island Press Ltd., Pembroke, Bermuda. Itself using as a source the unique, typescript "History of The Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps, 1891 - 1933", held at the Bermuda Library, in Hamilton.

[edit] External links

• Government of Bermuda - Governor's Biography

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