This article lists the governors of the Danish West Indies () or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands, a Danish colony in the Caribbean encompassing the territory of the present-day United States Virgin Islands.

Governors of St. Thomas

St. Thomas was claimed by Denmark–Norway in 1665.

Portrait Incumbent Term Notes1 Erik Nielson Smit6 May 1665 – 12 June 16662 Kjeld Jensen Slagelse 16663 Jørgen Iversen Dyppel25 May 1672 – 4 July 16804 Nicolai Esmit4 July 1680 – November 16825 Adolph EsmitNovember 1680 – 7 May 1684

Governors of St. Thomas and St. John

St. John (St. Jan) was claimed by Danish West India Company in 1683, which was disputed by the British until 1718.

Portrait Incumbent Term Notes1 Gabriel Milan7 May 1684 – 27 February 16862 Mikkel Mikkelsen (interim)27 February 1686 – 29 June 16863 Christopher Heins29 June 1686 – March 16874 Adolph Esmit (interim)March 1687 – October 1688Second term5 Christopher HeinsOctober 1688 – October 1689Second term6 Johan LorensenOctober 1689 – 17 September 16927 Frans de la Vigne17 September 1692 – 7 April 16938 Johan Lorensen7 April 1693 – 19 February 1702Second term9 Claus Hansen19 February 1702 – 8 February 170610 Joachim Melchior von Holten8 February 1706 – 21 December 170811 Diderich Mogensen21 December 1708 – 171012 Mikkel Knudsen Crone1710 – 8 August 171613 Erik Bredal8 August 1716 – April 1724During his term St. John was occupied.14 Friderich MothApril 1724 – May 172715 Henrich von SuhmMay 1727 – 21 February 173316 21 February 1733 – 21 February 1736During his term there was a slave rebellion.17 Friderich Moth21 February 1736 – 13 April 1744Second term. Also governor of St. Croix (see below).18 Jacob Schönemann1740 – 174419 Christian von Schweder13 April 1744 – 25 April 174720 Christian Suhm25 April 1747 – 175821 Harrien Felschauer1758 – 176022 Johan Georg von John1760 – April 176423 Ditlev Wilhelm WildthagenApril 1764 – November 176424 Peter GynthelbergNovember 1764 – 176525Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff1765 – 1766Later Governor-General (see below).26 Jens Nielsen Kragh1766 – 177327Thomas de Malleville1773 – 1796Later Governor-General (see below).28 Balthazar Frederik Mühlenfels1796 – 1800Later Governor-General (see below).291800 – March 180130 John Clayton Cowell31 March 1801 – 27 March 1802British occupation.31 Willum von Rømeling27 March 1802 – 180332Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten1803 – December 1807Second term33 Fitzroy J. Grafton McLeanDecember 1807 – 20 November 1815British occupation.34 Christian Ludvig von Holten20 November 1815 – 181835Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten1818 – 1820Later Governor-General (see below).36 Christian Ludvig von Holten |valign=top|February 1820 – March 1820Second term37Peter Carl Frederik von ScholtenApril 1820 – July 1820Second term38 Carl Gottlieb Fleischer1820 – 182239Carl Wilhelm Jessen1822 – 182340Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten1823 – 1826Third term41Johannes Søbøtker1826 – 182942 1829 – 183043 Lewin Jürgen Rohde Acting1830-183044 Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn1830 - 183145 Lewin Jürgen Rohde Acting1831 - 183246 Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn1832 – 183447 Frederik Oxholm1834 – 183648Johannes Søbøtker1836 – 1848Second term49 Hans Henrik Berg184850 Frederik Oxholm1848 – 1852Second term51 Hans Henrik Berg1853 – 1862Second term

Governors of St. Croix

St. Croix was bought from French West India Company in 1733.

Portrait Name Term of office Term start Term end Time in office 1 Frederik Moth 16 November 1733 20 February 1736 – Gregers Høg Nissen 24 February 1736 16 April 1744 – Paul Lindemark Jørgensen 16 April 1744 15 May 1747 2 15 May 1747 22 December 1751 3 22 December 1751 6 August 1755

In 1754, the Danish West Indies were sold by Danish West India Company to King Frederick V, becoming royal Danish-Norwegian colonies. Hereafter, St. Croix was governed by the Governors-General of the Danish West Indies.

Governors-general of the Danish West Indies Portrait Name Term of office Term start Term end Time in office Governor-general 1 Christian Leberecht von Prøck 6 August 1755 7 August 1766 2 7 August 1766 4 May 1770 3 Frederik Christian Moth 4 May 1770 1 March 1772 4 Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff 1 March 1772 31 July 1773 – Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann 31 July 1773 27 October 1773 (2) 27 October 1773 24 June 1784 † 5 Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann 25 June 1784 31 December 1787 6 Ernst Frederik Walterstorff 31 December 1787 25 July 1794 7 25 July 1794 8 May 1796 8 Thomas de Malleville 8 May 1796 26 October 1798 (7) 26 October 1798 31 March 1801 (6) Ernst Frederik Walterstorff 16 February 1802 16 February 1803 9 Balthazar Frederik Mühlenfels 16 February 1803 22 March 1807 10 Hans Christopher Lillienskjøld 22 March 1807 25 December 1807 British occupation – Henry Bowyer 25 December 1807 1 April 1815 End of British occupation 11 Peter Lotharius Oxholm 1 April 1815 1 May 1816 – Johan Henrik von Stabel 1 May 1816 1 July 1816 12 Adrian Benjamin Bentzon 1 July 1816 26 June 1819 – Johan Henrik von Stabel 26 June 1819 16 October 1820 13 Carl Adolph Rothe 16 October 1820 5 July 1822 14 Johan Frederik Bardenfleth 5 July 1822 14 July 1827 15 Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten 14 July 1827 6 July 1848 – Frederik Oxholm 6 July 1848 27 November 1848 Government Commissioner 16 27 November 1848 24 June 1851 Governor 17 Hans Ditmar Frederik Feddersen 24 June 1851 27 April 1855 18 Johan Frederik Schlegel 27 April 1855 31 May 1860 19 31 May 1860 25 February 1871 – John Christmas 26 February 1871 30 June 1871 – 30 June 1871 1 July 1872 – Johan August Stakeman 1 July 1872 24 September 1872 20 Janus August Garde 25 September 1872 23 March 1881 21 Christian Henrik Arendrup 15 April 1881 22 December 1893 22 Carl Emil Hedemann 22 December 1893 17 April 1903 23 Herman August Jürs 17 April 1903 21 January 1904 24 Frederik Theodor Martin Mortensen Nordlien 22 January 1904 2 April 1905 25 Christian Cold 27 April 1905 21 February 1908 26 21 February 1908 4 August 1911 27 7 November 1911 3 October 1916 – Henri Konow 3 October 1916 31 March 1917

The Danish West Indies were sold by Denmark to the United States on 12 December 1916. The administration was officially turned over on 31 March 1917, and the first US governor was Navy Captain Edwin Taylor Pollock. For governors of the territory after the establishment of the US administration, see List of governors of the United States Virgin Islands.

See also History of the United States Virgin Islands Danish colonization of the Americas 1868 Danish West Indies status referendum 1916 Danish West Indies status referendum 1916 Danish West Indian Islands sale referendum Treaty of the Danish West Indies Transfer Day

Notes

References

Bibliography Waldemar Westergaard, The Danish West Indies under Company Rule (1671 – 1754) (MacMillan, New York, 1917) World Statesmen. Retrieved 6 April 2006