List of governors of Plymouth

The Governor of Plymouth was the military Captain or Governor of the Fortress of Plymouth. The Governorship was abolished in 1842. The Lieutenant Governorship was vested in the General Officer Commanding Western District from 1793 to 1903, and in the Officer Commanding Plymouth Garrison from 1903 until that post was abolished.

Governors of Plymouth 1596–1601: Sir Ferdinando Gorges (removed from office, 1601) 1601–1602: Sir Nicholas Parker 1603–1629: Sir Ferdinando Gorges (restored to office) 1629–1638: James Bagge (jointly) 1638–1643: Sir Jacob Astley 1643: William Ruthven (Parliamentarian) 1644 (?): Col. William II Gould (1615-1644)No date given for governorship in Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620. Exeter, 1895, pp. 344-346, pedigree of Floyer of Floyer Hayes, p. 422 of Floyer Hayes, Exeter, after whose tenure "Mount Gould" in Plymouth is named.Poulton-Smith, Anthony, South Devon Place NamesMount Gould Hospital; accessed 2025-04-28 He was buried at St Andrew's, Plymouth. 1645–1645: John Robartes, 2nd Baron Robartes 1645–?1659: Ralph Weldon (Parliamentarian) 1659–1659: John Desborough 1660–1661: Sir William Morice 1661–1696: John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath 1696–1722: Major General Charles TrelawnyConcise Dictionary of National Biography 1722–1745: Charles Churchill 1745–1752: John Murray, 2nd Earl of Dunmore 1752–1759: John Ligonier, 1st Viscount Ligonier 1759–1760: Richard Onslow 1760–1784: John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave 1784–1805: Lord George Lennox 1805–1807: John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham 1807–1808: Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake 1808–1814: William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe 1814–1819: Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond 1819–1826: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington 1826–1830: William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt 1830–1842: Rowland Hill, 1st Baron Hill

Lieutenant-Governors of Plymouth 1746–1748: Lieutenant-General William Blakeney 1748–1754: Major Chiverton Hartopp 1754–1771: Lieutenant John Williams 1771–1782: Lieutenant-Colonel William Blackett 1782–1803: Colonel John Campbell 1803–1812: Major-General Richard England 1812–1819: Major-General Gore Browne 1819–1823: Major-General Sir Denis Pack 1823–1833: Major-General Sir John Cameron 1835–1840: Major-General Sir Willoughby Cotton 1840–1842: Major-General Robert Ellice 1842–1852: Major-General Sir Henry Murray 1853–1854: Major-General Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet 1855–1859: Major-General George Eden 1859–1865: Major-General William Hutchinson 1865–1866: Lieutenant-General George Upton, 3rd Viscount Templetown 1866–1869: Lieutenant-General Sir Augustus Spencer 1869–1874: Major-General Sir Charles Staveley 1874–1877: Lieutenant-General Henry Smyth 1877–1880: Lieutenant-General Leicester Smyth 1880–1883: Lieutenant-General Thomas Pakenham 1883–1885: Major-General James Sayer 1885–1889: Major-General Thomas Lyons 1889–1990: Major-General Sir Howard Elphinstone 1890–1895: General Sir Richard Harrison 1895–1899: Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Forestier-Walker 1899–1905: Lieutenant-General Sir William Butler

References