List of colonial governors of Suriname

Flag of the Governor of Dutch Guyana (1966-1975)

This is a list of colonial governors of Suriname. Suriname is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Suriname was first colonized by the British, and captured by the Dutch in 1667, who governed it as Dutch Guiana until 1954. The country of Suriname achieved independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 25 November 1975.

List of Colonial Heads of Suriname

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Term Incumbent Notes
English Suzerainty
English settlement at Willoughby
1650 to 1654Anthony Rowse, Governor
1654 to 27 February 1667William Byam, Governor
Dutch Suzerainty
Dutch colony
27 February 1667 to 18 October 1667Maurits de Rama, Governor
18 October 1667 to 3 November 1667John Harman, Governor
3 November 1667 to 1 February 1668Samuel Barry, Governor
1668 to 18 June 1669Abraham Crijnssen, acting Governor
1669 to 1671Philip Julius Lichtenberg, Governor
1671 to 1677Pierre Versterre, acting Governor
1677Abel Thisso, acting Governor
1677 to 1678Tobias Adriaensen, Governor
1678 to April 1680Johannes Heinsius, Governor
1680Everhard van Hemert, acting Governor
1680 to 1683Laurens Verboom, acting Governor
1683 to 19 July 1688Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck, Governor
1688 to 1689Abraham van Vredenburgh, acting Governor
1689 to 1696Johan van Scharphuizen, Governor
14 May 1696 to 2 March 1707Paulus van der Veen, Governor
2 March 1707 to 27 September 1707William de Gruyter, Governor
27 September 1707 to 19 January 1710Francis Anthonie de Rayneval, acting Governor1st time
19 January 1710 to 28 July 1715Johan de Goyer, Governor
28 July 1715 to 22 January 1716Francis Anthonie de Rayneval, acting Governor2nd time
22 January 1716 to 4 October 1717Johan de Mahony, Governor
4 October 1717 to 2 March 1718Francis Anthonie de Rayneval, acting Governor3rd time
2 March 1718 to 4 September 1721Jan Coetier, Governor
4 September 1721 to 1 March 1722Francis Anthonie de Rayneval, acting Governor4th time
1 March 1722 to 17 September 1727Hendrik Temminck, Governor-General
17 September 1727 to 9 November 1728Francis Anthonie de Rayneval, acting Governor-General5th time
9 November 1728 to 26 January 1734Karel Emilius Henry de Cheusses, Governor-General
26 January 1734 to 11 December 1734Johan Fredrik Cornelis de Vries, acting Governor-General1st time
11 December 1734 to 26 January 1735Jacob Alexander Henry de Cheusses, Governor-General
26 January 1735 to 4 March 1735Johan Fredrik Cornelis de Vries, acting Governor-General2nd time
4 March 1735 to 22 December 1735Council
22 December 1735 to 11 August 1737Johan Raye van Brenelerwaard, Governor-General
11 August 1737 to 15 October 1742Gerrit van de Schepper, Governor-General
15 October 1742 to 23 April 1751Johan Jacob Mauricius, Governor-General
23 April 1751 to 7 September 1752Hendrik Ernst baron van Spörcke, acting Governor-General
7 September 1752 to 22 October 1754Wigbold Crommelin, acting Governor-General1st time
22 October 1754 to 24 August 1756Pieter Albert van der Meer, Governor-General
24 August 1756 to 21 January 1757Jan Nepveu, acting Governor-General1st time
21 January 1757 to 22 November 1768Wigbold Crommelin, Governor-GeneralActing to 20 September 1757, 2nd time
22 November 1768 to 27 February 1779Jan Nepveu, Governor-GeneralActing to 8 March 1770, 2nd time
27 February 1779 to 23 September 1783Bernard Texier, Governor-General
23 September 1783 to 24 December 1784Wolphert Jacob Beeldsnijder Matroos, acting Governor-General
24 December 1784 to 15 June 1790Jan Gerhard Wichers, Governor-General
15 June 1790 to 20 August 1799Juriaan François Frederici, Governor-GeneralActing to 24 August 1792
British Occupation
20 August 1799 to 4 December 1802Juriaan François Frederici, Governor-General
Dutch Suzerainty
4 December 1802 to 9 December 1803Willem Otto Blois van Treslong, acting Governor-General
9 December 1803 to 9 May 1804Pierre Beranger, Commissioner-General
British Occupation
9 May 1804 to 15 April 1805Sir Charles Green, Governor-General
15 April 1805 to 27 September 1808William Carlyon Hughes, Lieutenant Governor
27 September 1808 to 4 May 1809Sir John Wardlau Bar, acting Governor-General
4 May 1809 to 8 November 1811Charles Bentinck, Earl of Bentinck, Chief Commissioner
8 November 1811 to 27 February 1816Pinson Bonham, acting Governor-General
Dutch Suzerainty
27 February 1816 to 18 July 1816Willem Benjamin van Panhuys, Governor-General
18 July 1816 to 1 April 1822Cornelis Reinhard Vaillant, Governor-General
1 April 1822 to 12 October 1827Abraham de Veer, Governor-General
12 October 1827 to 1 August 1828Johannes Graaf van den Bosch, Commissioner-General
United with Netherlands Antilles as Dutch West Indies
1 August 1828 to 19 December 1831Paulus Roelof Cantz'laar, Governor-General
19 December 1831 to 5 June 1838Evert Ludolph baron van Heeckeren, Governor-GeneralActing to 6 May 1832
5 June 1838 to 16 July 1839Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General1st time
16 July 1839 to 31 March 1842Julius Constantijn Rijk, Governor-General
31 March 1842 to 15 November 1842Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General2nd time
15 November 1842 to 16 July 1845Burchard Jean Elias, Governor-General
16 July 1845 to 13 October 1845Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General3rd time
13 October 1845 to 27 January 1848Reinier Frederik baron van Raders, Governor-General
Separate colony
27 January 1848 to 1 March 1852Reinier Frederik baron van Raders, Governor-General
1 March 1852 to 14 June 1852Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General4th time
14 June 1852 to 22 June 1852Coenrad Barends, acting Governor-General
22 June 1852 to 25 August 1855Johann George Otto Stuart von Schmidt auf Altenstadt, Governor-General
25 August 1855 to 11 August 1859Charles Pierre Schimpf, Governor-General
11 August 1859 to 29 June 1867Reinhart Frans van Lansberge, Governor-General
29 June 1867 to 1 August 1873Willem Hendrik Johan van Idsinga, Governor-General
1 August 1873 to 1 November 1882Cornelis Ascanius van Sypesteyn, Governor-General
1 November 1882 to 30 July 1885Johannes Herbert August Willem baron van Heerdt tot Eversberg, Governor-General
30 July 1885 to 18 July 1888Hendrik Jan Smidt, Governor-General
18 July 1888 to 30 January 1889Warmolt Tonckens, acting Governor-General1st time
30 January 1889 to 27 June 1891Maurits Adriaan de Savornin Lohman, Governor-General
27 June 1891 to 12 May 1896Titus Anthony Jacob van Asch van Wijck, Governor-General
12 May 1896 to 4 October 1902Warmolt Tonckens, Governor-General2nd time
4 October 1902 to 12 September 1905Cornelis Lely, Governor-General
12 September 1905 to 18 November 1905David Hendrick Havelaar, acting Governor-General
18 November 1905 to 28 February 1908Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg, Governor-General
28 February 1908 to 10 August 1908Pieter Hofstede Crull, acting Governor-General1st time
10 August 1908 to 30 June 1911Dirk Fock, Governor-General
30 June 1911 to 14 July 1911Louis Marie Rollin Couquerque, Governor-General
14 July 1911 to 17 October 1911Pieter Hofstede Crull, acting Governor-General2nd time
17 October 1911 to 25 November 1916Willem Dirk Hendrik baron van Asbeck, Governor-General
25 November 1916 to 25 November 1919Gerard Johan Staal, Governor-General1st time
25 November 1919 to 15 July 1920Lambertus Johannes Rietberg, Governor-General1st time
15 July 1920 to 16 December 1920Gerard Johan Staal, Governor-General2nd time
16 December 1920 to 23 May 1921Lambertus Johannes Rietberg, Governor-General2nd time
23 May 1921 to 21 May 1924Aarnoud van Heemstra, Governor-General1st time
21 May 1924 to 18 September 1924Lambertus Johannes Rietberg, Governor-General3rd time
18 September 1924 to 21 February 1925Jan Luchies Nysingh, Governor-General
21 February 1925 to 1 April 1928Aarnoud van Heemstra, Governor-General2nd time
1 April 1928 to 16 August 1933Abraham "Bram" Arnold Lodewijk Rutgers, Governor-General
16 August 1933 to 3 January 1944Johannes Coenraad Kielstra, Governor-General
16 August 1935 to 12 April 1936Johannes Cornelis Brons, acting Governor-GeneralActing for Kielstra, 1st time
September 1938 to January 1939Johannes Cornelis Brons, acting Governor-GeneralActing for Kielstra, 2nd time
3 January 1944 to 2 August 1948Johannes Cornelis Brons, Governor-General3rd time
2 August 1948 to 20 September 1948Willem Huender, Governor-General
New constitution enters into force
20 September 1948 to 2 December 1949Willem Huender, Governor-General
2 December 1949 to 15 December 1954Jan Klaasesz, Governor-General
Autonomous part of The Netherlands, end of colonial status
15 December 1954 to 11 February 1956Jan Klaasesz, Governor-General
11 February 1956 to 18 March 1963Jan van Tilburg, Governor-General
19 March 1963 to 22 August 1964Archibald Currie, Governor-GeneralActing to 1 May 1963
22 August 1964 to 26 February 1965François Haverschmidt, acting Governor-General
26 February 1965 to 12 August 1968Henri Lucien de Vries, Governor-General
12 August 1968 to 25 November 1975Johan Henri Eliza Ferrier, Governor-General
25 November 1975Independence as Republic of Suriname

For continuation after independence, see: President of Suriname

See also

External links

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