List of colonial governors of Burma

Governor of Burma

Standard of the Governor, 1939–1948

Longest serving
Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler
28 October 1915–22 September 1917
21 December 1922–20 December 1927

Style| His Excellency
Residence| Government House, Rangoon
Appointer| Monarch of the United Kingdom
Formation| 31 January 1862
First holder| Arthur Purves Phayre
Final holder| Sir Hubert Elvin Rance
Abolished| 4 January 1948
Succession| President of Myanmar
Burma (Upper {orange} and Lower {pink}), 1886.

The colonial governors of Burma were the colonial administrators responsible for the territory of British Burma, an area equivalent to modern-day Myanmar.

As a result of the Second Anglo-Burmese War, Burma was initially set up as a province of British India. Later it was made a separate crown colony within the British Empire. Following invasion by the Empire of Japan during World War II, it was controlled by a Japanese military governor. After the Japanese were expelled, it was under a Allied military commander, then a civilian governor until independence.

## List

[edit]

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

acting

No. | Portrait  | Name
(birth–death) | Term of office

|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
British Burma
Chief commissioner
1  |  | Arthur Purves Phayre
(1812–1885) | 31 January 1862  | 16 February 1867  | 5 years, 16 days
2  |  | Albert Fytche
(1820–1892) | 16 February 1867  | 18 April 1871  | 4 years, 61 days
3  |  | Ashley Eden
(1831–1887) | 18 April 1871  | 14 April 1875  | 3 years, 361 days
4  |  | Augustus Rivers Thompson
(1829–1890) | 14 April 1875  | 30 April 1877  | 2 years, 16 days
30 April 1877  | 30 March 1878  | 334 days
5  |  | Charles Umpherston Aitchison
(1832–1896) | 30 March 1878  | 2 July 1880  | 2 years, 94 days
6  |  | Charles Bernard
(1837–1901) | 2 July 1880  | 4 April 1882  | 1 year, 276 days
4 April 1882  | 2 March 1883  | 332 days
7  |  | Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
(1835–1915) | 2 March 1883  | 28 February 1884  | 363 days
28 February 1884  | 25 September 1886  | 2 years, 209 days
(6)  |  | Charles Bernard
(1837–1901) | 25 September 1886  | 12 March 1887  | 168 days
(7)  |  | Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
(1835–1915) | 12 March 1887  | 10 December 1890  | 3 years, 273 days
8  |  | Alexander Mackenzie
(1842–1902) | 10 December 1890  | 3 April 1895  | 4 years, 114 days
9  |  | Frederick William Richards Fryer
(1845–1922) | 3 April 1895  | 1 May 1897 | 2 years, 28 days
Lieutenant governor
1  |  | Frederick William Richards Fryer
(1845–1922) | 1 May 1897 | 4 April 1903  | 5 years, 338 days
2  |  | Sir Hugh Shakespear Barnes
(1853–1940) | 4 April 1903  | 9 May 1905  | 2 years, 35 days
3  |  | Sir Herbert Thirkell White
(1855–1931) | 9 May 1905  | 19 May 1910  | 5 years, 10 days
4  |  | Sir Harvey Adamson
(1854–1941) | 19 May 1910  | 28 October 1915  | 5 years, 162 days
–  |  | Sir George Shaw
(1858–1931)
Acting | 15 May 1913  | 1 November 1913  | 170 days
5  |  | Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler
(1869–1938) | 28 October 1915  | 22 September 1917  | 1 year, 329 days
–  |  | Walter Francis Rice
(1871–1941)
Acting | 22 September 1917  | 15 February 1918  | 146 days
6  |  | Sir Reginald Henry Craddock
(1864–1937) | 15 February 1918  | 21 December 1922  | 4 years, 309 days
5  |  | Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler
(1869–1938) | 21 December 1922  | 2 January 1923 | 12 days
Governor
1  |  | Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler
(1869–1938) | 2 January 1923 | 20 December 1927  | 4 years, 352 days
2  |  | Sir Charles Alexander Innes
(1874–1959) | 20 December 1927  | 20 December 1932  | 5 years
3  |  | Sir Hugh Landsdowne Stephenson
(1871–1941) | 20 December 1932  | 8 May 1936  | 3 years, 140 days
4  |  | Sir Archibald Douglas Cochrane
(1885–1958) | 8 May 1936  | 6 May 1941  | 4 years, 363 days
5  |  | Sir Reginald Hugh Dorman-Smith
(1899–1977) | 6 May 1941  | 31 August 1946  | 5 years, 117 days
Japanese Occupation of British Burma
Military commander
1  |  | Lieutenant general
Shōjirō Iida
(1888–1980) | 20 April 1942  | 18 March 1943  | 332 days
2  |  | General
Masakazu Kawabe
(1886–1965) | 18 March 1943  | 30 August 1944  | 165 days
3  |  | General
Heitarō Kimura
(1888–1948) | 30 August 1944  | 15 August 1945  | 1 year, 350 days
Allied military administration
Military governor
1  |  | Actg. Admiral
Lord Mountbatten
(1900–1979) | 1 January 1944  | October 1945  | 1 year, 9 months
2  |  | Major general
Sir Hubert Elvin Rance
(1898–1974) | October 1945  | 31 August 1946 | 10 months
British Burma
Governor
1  |  | Sir Hubert Elvin Rance
(1898–1974) | 31 August 1946 | 4 January 1948  | 1 year, 126 days

## See also

[edit]

* Myanmar portal

* President of Myanmar
* List of presidents of Myanmar
* Vice-President of Myanmar
* Prime Minister of Myanmar
* List of premiers of British Burma
* List of prime ministers of Myanmar
* Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar
* State Counsellor of Myanmar
* Chairman of the State Administration Council

## References

[edit]

## External links

[edit]

* World Statesmen – Myanmar (Burma)

* v
* t
* e

Administrators of provinces in British India

Governors|

* Agra Presidency (1834–1836)
* Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1945–1947)1
* Assam (1921–1947)1
* Bengal Presidency (1700–1774, 1912–1947)
* Bihar (1936–1947)1
* Bihar and Orissa Province (1920–1936)
* Bombay Presidency (1694–1947)
* Burma (1923–1937)
* Central Provinces and Berar (1920–1947)
* Madras Presidency (1698–1947)
* North-West Frontier Province (1932–1948)
* Orissa (1936–1947)1
* Punjab (1921–1947)1
* Sind (1936–1947)
* United Provinces of British India (1921–1937)
* United Provinces (1937–1947)

Lt. Governors|

* Bengal, Bihar and Orissa Provinces (1854–1912)
* Assam (1905–1912)
* Bihar and Orissa Province (1912–1920)
* Burma (1897–1923)
* North-Western Provinces (1836–1877)
* North-Western Provinces (1877–1902)
* Punjab (1859–1921)
* United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (1902–1921)

Chief
Commissioners|

* Ajmer-Merwara (1871–1947)
* Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1872–1945)
* Assam (1874–1905, 1912–1921)
* Balochistan (1877–1947)
* Burma (1886–1897)
* Central Provinces (1861–1920)
* Coorg Province (1869–1947)
* Delhi (1912–1947)
* Lower Burma (1867–1886)
* North-West Frontier Province (1901–1932)
* Oudh (1856–1877)
* Oudh (1877–1902)
* Panth-Piploda (1942–1947)
* Punjab (1853–1859)

Commissioners|

* Assam (1828–1874)
* Sind (1843–1936)

Superintendents|

* Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1858–1872)

* 1 Office retained following Indian independence

* v
* t
* e

Governors, civil commissioners and administrators of British dependencies

Crown
Dependencies|

* Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
* Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man
* Lieutenant Governor of Jersey

Overseas
territories|

* Governor of Anguilla
* Governor of Ascension (Administrator of Ascension)
* Governor of Bermuda
* Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory
* Governor of the Virgin Islands
* Governor of the Cayman Islands
* Governor of the Falkland Islands
* Governor of Gibraltar
* Governor of Montserrat
* Governor of Pitcairn
* Administrator of the Pitcairn Islands
* Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
* Governor of Saint Helena
* Governor of Tristan da Cunha (Administrator of Tristan da Cunha)
* Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Former posts|

| Africa|

* Governor of British Mauritius
* Governor of British Cameroons
* Governor of the Gambia
* Governor of Gold Coast
* Lieutenant Governor of Griqualand West
* Governor of Kenya
* Governor of Lagos Colony
* Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
* Governor of Northern Rhodesia
* Governor of Nyasaland
* Governor of Southern Rhodesia
* Governor of Nigeria
* Governor of Senegal
* Governor of the Seychelles
* Governor of Sierra Leone
* Governor-General of South Africa
* High Commissioner for Southern Africa
* Governors of British South African colonies
* Governor of British Somaliland
* Governor of Tanganyika
* Governor of Uganda
* Resident in Zanzibar

|

Americas|

* Governor of the Bahamas
* Governor of Barbados
* Lieutenant Governor of Grenada
* Lieutenant-Governor of Berbice
* Governor of British Guiana
* Governor of British Honduras
* Governor of Cuba
* Governor of Dominica
* Lieutenant-Governor of Demerara-Essequibo
* Governor of Grenada
* Governor of Jamaica
* Governor of the Leeward Islands
* Governor of St. Lucia
* Governor of St. Vincent
* Governor of Trinidad and Tobago
* Lieutenant governors of Tobago
* Governor of Trinidad
* Governor of Newfoundland
* Governor General of Canada
* Governor of British Columbia
* Governor of New Brunswick
* Governor of Nova-Scotia
* Governor of Prince Edward Island
* Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
* Governor of Saint Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla
* Governor-in-Chief of the Windward Islands
* Governor-General of the West Indies Federation
* Governor of Connecticut
* Governor of Delaware
* Governor of Florida
* Governor of Georgia
* Governor of Maryland
* Governor of Massachusetts-Bay
* Governor of New Hampshire
* Governor of New-Jersey
* Governor of New-York
* Governor of North-Carolina
* Governor of Pennsylvania
* Governor of Rhode-island and Providence Plantations
* Governor of South-Carolina
* Governor of Virginia

Asia|

* Governor of Aden
* Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory
* Governor of Burma
* Governor of Ceylon
* High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States
* Senior British representatives in the constituent protected states
* Senior British representatives in the neighbouring Malayan protected states
* General Adviser to the Government of Johore
* Adviser to the Sultan of Kedah
* Adviser to the Government of Kelantan
* Adviser to the Government of Perlis
* Adviser, Trengganu
* Governor of Hong Kong
* Viceroy and Governor-General of India
* Heads of the provinces of British India
* Governor of Aden
* Governor of Bengal
* Governor of Bombay
* Governor of Madras
* Governor of Sindh
* Senior British representatives in neighbouring protected states
* Resident of Gwalior
* High Commissioner for Iraq
* Governor of Labuan
* Representative in Muscat and Oman
* High Commissioner for Malaya
* Governor of the Malayan Union
* Governor of North Borneo
* Resident Minister in Nepal
* High Commissioners for Palestine and Transjordan
* Governor of Penang
* Representative in the Raj of Sarawak
* Governor of the Crown Colony of Sarawak
* Governor of Singapore
* Representative in the Trucial States

Europe|

* Governor of Cyprus
* Lieutenant Governor of Heligoland
* High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands
* Governor of the Isle of Wight
* Civil Commissioner of Malta
* Governor of Malta
* Governor of Minorca
* Governor of Northern Ireland

Oceania|

* Governor-General of Australia
* Government Resident of Central Australia
* Governor of New South Wales
* Government Resident of North Australia
* Governor of Queensland
* Governor of South Australia
* Governor of Tasmania
* Governor of Victoria
* Governor of Western Australia
* Governor of Fiji
* Governor-General of New Zealand
* Governor-General of Papua New Guinea
* Governor of the Solomon Islands
* Lieutenant Governor of the Swan River Colony
* Consul in Tonga
* High Commissioner for the Western Pacific

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