Governor of Ascension

Governor of Ascension
Coat of arms of Ascension
since 13 August 2022
StyleHis Excellency
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
Term lengthat His Majesty's pleasure
Formation2009
First holderAndrew Gurr
Politics of Ascension Island
The Crown
Government
Judiciary
Other

The Governor of Ascension is the representative of the monarch in Ascension Island, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. He is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government, his role is to act as the de facto head of state.

Prior to 2009, Ascension Island was a dependency of Saint Helena and therefore directly represented by the Governor of Saint Helena. The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 made Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha, equal constituent parts of the territory with their own governments and established the position of Governor of Ascension.[1]

Governors from 2009 to present

Per section 143 of the Constitution Order, the persons appointed as Governor of Saint Helena are ex officio also Governor of Ascension.

Recent officeholders:

Administrators, from 1964 to present

However, as Ascension Island is 809 miles (1,302 km) away from Saint Helena, an administrator is appointed to act as the Governor's representative on the island specifically. This arrangement predates the current constitutional structure and the first administrator was appointed in 1942.

Here is a list of them since 1964, if not 1942, formally referred to as "His / Her Honour".

Administrator from until notes ?
M. E. Wainwright June 1964 September 1966
Anthony Grant Ayerst Beyts September 1966 September 1967
H. W. D. McDonald June 1968 September 1973
Geoffrey Colin Guy († 2006) September 1973 November 1976
G. McDonald November 1976 June 1977
G. B. Kendal June 1977 September 1977
Simon Gillett September 1977 June 1979
P. Duncan June 1979 September 1980
Bernard Edward Pauncefort († 2010) September 1980 August 1982
Ian George Thow August 1982 August 1984
Michael T. S. Blick August 1984 January 1989
J. J. Beale January 1989 February 1991
Brian Norman Connelly February 1991 June 1995
Roger C. Huxley June 1995 23 July 1999
Geoffrey Fairhurst 23 July 1999 10 July 2002
Andrew Michael Kettlewell 22 September 2002 September 2005
Michael Thomas Hill September 2005 September 2008
Ross Denny September 2008 9 September 2011
Colin Wells 27 October 2011 August 2014
Marc Holland 26 August 2014[5] March 2018
Justine Allan 26 March 2018 25 November 2018
Steven Chandler 9 March 2019[6] 16 March 2020
Sean Burns († 2023)[7] 17 March 2020[8] 2 November 2022
Simon Minshull 2 November 2022 Incumbent

Resident-magistrates, from 1922 to 1964

Resident-magistrate from until Notes
W. Haining 1922 1925
E. Lee Lander 1925 1928
Fred Wood 1928 1929
E. A. Willmott 1929 1934
Lionel Bartlett 1934 1936
Percy Edwin Bunker 1936 1938
C. Nias 1938 1938
Percy Edwin Bunker 1938 1939 second time
Stephen Harold Cardwell 1939 1944
Maurice Campbell Clark 1944 1947
V. W. Oelrichs 1 July 1947 1949
Herbert Louis Nicholson Ascough 15 July 1949 1951
F. G. Eastwood 1 February 1951 1952
B. Stephens 14 April 1952 1954
A. R. Harrison 1 November 1954 1955
F. J. Atkins 10 October 1955 1956
A. R. Harrison 5 March 1956 18 May 1958 second time
B. R. Irving 18 May 1958 4 November 1958
A. R. Harrison 4 November 1958 30 April 1961 third time
J. R. Bruce 30 April 1961 28 June 1962
J. Markham 28 June 1962 21 December 1962
J. R. Bruce 21 December 1962 1964 second time

Commandants, 1815–1922

Commandant from until Notes
James Kearney White 22 October 1815 March 1816
William Roberts March 1816 August 1817
James Thorn August 1817 September 1819
Robert Campbell September 1819 March 1823
Edward Nicolls March 1823 November 1828 First Royal Marines officer as commandant
William Bate 3 November 1828 15 April 1838 Died in office
Hugh Evans April 1838 January 1839
Roger Sawrey Tinklar January 1839 14 September 1840 Died in office
J. Wade September 1840 December 1840 Acting
W. Lee December 1840 April 1841 Acting
H. Bennett April 1841 December 1841 Died in office
W. Lee December 1841 July 1842 Acting; second time
Thomas Peard Dwyer July 1842 April 1844
T. C. C. Moore April 1844 May 1844
John Fraser May 1844 11 October 1844
Arthur Fleming Morrell 11 October 1844 18 January 1847
Frederick Hutton 18 January 1847 October 1851
William Hewgill Kitchen October 1851 June 1855
George Alexander Seymour June 1855 March 1858
William Farquharson Burnett March 1858 July 1861
Frederick Lamport Barnard July 1861 March 1864
Joseph Grant Bickford March 1864 June 1864
F. Hammond June 1864 September 1866
Walter James Hunt-Grubbe September 1866 March 1867
Arthur Wilmshurst March 1867 November 1868
J. G. Mead November 1868 May 1869
R. W. Evans May 1869 October 1869
E. F. Kirby October 1869 October 1872
John Brazier Creagh October 1872 January 1874
James Wylie East January 1874 February 1877
Henry Bouchier Phillimore February 1877 December 1878
Arthur George Robertson Roe December 1878 September 1882
George Parsons September 1882 October 1886
Richard Henry Napier October 1886 June 1890
Richard Evans June 1890 May 1893
J. G. Jones May 1893 May 1896
John Edric Blaxland May 1896 July 1899
George Northmore Arthur Pollard July 1899 13 May 1902
Robert Kyle McAlpine 13 May 1902 13 March 1905
Reginald Hallward Morgan 13 March 1905 29 April 1908
J. W. Dunstan 29 April 1908 27 April 1910
G. Carpenter 27 April 1910 21 April 1913
Henry Cleeve Bennett 21 April 1913 8 June 1919
Harold George Grant 8 June 1919 15 October 1920
Charles Arthur Tennyson 15 October 1920 31 October 1922

References

  1. ^ "Constitution of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Order 2009". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Foreign & Commonwealth Office – Change of Her Majesty's Governor of St Helena". Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Change of Governor of St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 4 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Arrival of new Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha". St Helena Government. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Swearing in of new Administrator – Ascension Island Government".
  6. ^ "New Administrator Arrives – Ascension Island Government". Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  7. ^ Died on 16 March 2023 in Tristan da Cunha.
  8. ^ "Administrator Sean Burns Begins Official Duties – Ascension Island Government".


Stub icon

This article about Ascension Island is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.