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List of Colonial Governors of VA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colonial_governors_of_Virginia

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https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Governors_of_Virginia

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Council of Virginia

https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Governor_s_Council_The

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  • Sir William Berkeley (1605–1677), governor, by October 1660–April 27, 1677; resident in Virginia except for the period April 30, 1661–November 1662, when he was absent on a voyage to England. Recalled in 1677.

  • Francis Moryson (before 1628–ca. 1681), lieutenant governor, acted during Berkeley’s absence, April 30, 1661–November 1662.

  • Thomas Culpeper, baron Culpeper of Thoresway (1635–1689), governor, July 20, 1677–August 1683; resident in Virginia May 10–August 11, 1680, and December 1682–May 22, 1683; represented during rest of term by deputy.

  • Herbert Jeffreys (d. 1678), appointed lieutenant governor after Berkeley’s recall, served April 27, 1677–December 17, 1678. Died in office.

  • Sir Henry Chicheley (1615–1683), deputy governor under Culpeper, December 30, 1678–May 10, 1680, and August 11, 1680–December 1682.

  • Nicholas Spencer (ca. 1638–1689), president of the Council, May 22, 1683–February 21, 1684.

  • Francis Howard, baron Howard of Effingham (bap. 1643–1695), governor, September 28, 1683–March 1, 1692; in Virginia February 21, 1684–February 1689, except for brief absences in New York during the summers of 1684 and 1687; represented during those intervals and for the remainder of his term by deputies.

  • Nathaniel Bacon Sr. (bap. 1620–1692), president of the Council, acted during Effingham’s absences, June–September 1684 and July–September 1687; also served February 1689–June 3, 1690.

  • Francis Nicholson (1655–1728), lieutenant governor, deputy to Effingham, June 3, 1690–September 20, 1692.

  • Sir Edmund Andros (1637–1714), governor, September 20, 1692–December 1698; in Virginia, except for a brief absence in Maryland, September–October 1698.

  • Ralph Wormeley (1650–1701), president of the Council, acted during Andros’s absence, September–October 1698.

  • Francis Nicholson (1655–1728), governor, December 9, 1698–August 15, 1705; in Virginia except for brief absences in 1700, 1703, and 1704.

  • William Byrd (1652–1704), president of the Council, acted during Nicholson’s absences, September–October 24, 1700, April–June 1703, and August–September 1704.

  • Edward Nott (1657–1706), governor, August 15, 1705–August 23, 1706. Died in office.

  • Edmund Jenings (1659–1727), president of the Council, August 27, 1706–June 10, 1708.

  • Robert Hunter (1666–1734), governor, April 22, 1707–September 1709. Captured by the French on his way to Virginia and never served in the colony.

  • Edmund Jennings (1659–1727), lieutenant governor, deputy to Hunter, June 10, 1708–June 23, 1710.

  • George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney (1666–1737), governor, February 18, 1710–January 29, 1737. Never went to Virginia and represented there by deputies.

  • Alexander Spotswood (1676–1740), lieutenant governor, deputy to Orkney, June 23, 1710–September 27, 1722.

  • Hugh Drysdale (ca. 1670–1726), lieutenant governor, deputy to Orkney, September 27, 1722–July 22, 1726. Died in office.

  • Robert Carter (ca.1664–1732), president of the Council, August 1, 1726–September 11, 1727.

  • Sir William Gooch (1681–1751), lieutenant governor, deputy to Orkney and to Albemarle, September 11, 1727–August 1749; in Virginia except for the period October 15, 1740–July 1741, when he was absent on the military expedition against Cartagena.

  • William Anne Keppel, Earl of Albemarle (1702–1754), governor, October 6, 1737–December 22, 1754. Never went to Virginia and was represented by deputies.

  • James Blair (ca. 1655–1743), president of the Council, acted during Gooch’s absence, October 15, 1740–July 1741.

  • John Robinson Sr. (1683–1749), president of the Council, from unrecorded date in mid- or late August 1749 to August 24, 1749. Died in office.

  • Thomas Lee (1690–1750), president of the Council, September 4, 1749–November 14, 1750. Died in office.

  • Lewis Burwell (1710–1756), president of the Council, November 21, 1750–November 21, 1751.

  • Robert Dinwiddie (1692–1770), lieutenant governor, deputy to Albemarle and to Loudoun, November 21, 1751–January 1758.

  • John Campbell, Earl of Loudoun (1705–1782), governor, March 8, 1756–July 1759. Never went to Virginia and was represented by deputies.

  • John Blair (ca. 1687–1771), president of the Council, January 12–June 7, 1758.

  • Francis Fauquier (1703–1768), lieutenant governor, deputy to Loudoun and to Amherst, June 7, 1758–March 3, 1768. Died in office.

  • Sir Jeffery Amherst (1717–1797), governor, September 25, 1759–July 1768. Never went to Virginia and was represented by deputies.

  • John Blair (ca. 1687–1771), president of the Council, March 4–October 26, 1768.

  • Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt (1717–1770), governor, October 26, 1768–October 15, 1770. Died in office.

  • William Nelson (1711–1772), president of the Council, October 15, 1770–September 25, 1771.

  • John Murray, Earl of Dunmore (1732–1809), governor, September 25, 1771–June 1775. Dunmore left Williamsburg on June 8, 1775, and sought refuge aboard a British warship. After Dunmore’s withdrawal, executive functions were performed by the eleven-man Committee of Safety, chaired by Edmund Pendleton, which was established on August 19, 1775 by Virginia’s third revolutionary convention. The committee functioned from the date of its creation through July 5, 1776.

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Governors under the Commonwealth, 1776–1865

Under the Constitution of 1776, the General Assembly elected Virginia’s governors for one-year terms. No governor could serve more than three consecutive terms or be elected again until after an interval of four years. When the office became vacant by death or resignation, the president or senior member of the Council of State acted as governor until the assembly was able to choose a successor. The Constitution of 1830 left the election of the governor with the General Assembly but changed the term of office to three years with no eligibility for immediate reelection. Since the adoption of the Constitution of 1851, the voters have elected the governors for four-year terms with no eligibility for immediate reelection. The exception is the period Reconstruction, 1865–1870, when the commanding general of the military district of Virginia named the governor.

  • Patrick Henry (1736–1799), from Hanover County, July 6, 1776–June 1, 1779.

  • Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), from Albemarle County, June 2, 1779–June 3, 1781.

  • William Fleming (1729–1795), from Botetourt County, member of the Council of State acting as governor, June 4–12, 1781.

  • Thomas Nelson (1738–1789), from Yorktown, York County, June 12–November 22, 1781.

  • David Jameson (after 1720–1793), from Yorktown, York County, member of the Council of State acting as governor, November 22–30, 1781.

  • Benjamin Harrison (1726–1791), from Charles City County, December 1, 1781–November 30, 1784.

  • Patrick Henry (1736–1799), then resident in Henry County, November 30, 1784–November 30, 1786.

  • Edmund Randolph (1753–1813), from Henrico County, November 30, 1786–November 12, 1788.

  • Beverley Randolph (1754–1797), from Cumberland County, November 12, 1788–December 1, 1791.

  • Henry Lee (1756–1818), from Westmoreland County, December 1, 1791–December 1, 1794, Federalist.

  • Robert Brooke (1751–1800), from Spotsylvania County, December 1, 1794–November 30, 1796, Democratic-Republican.

  • James Wood (1741–1813), from Frederick County, November 30, 1796–December 6, 1799, Federalist.

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