PEOPLE IN PORTSMOUTH

 

The Governors & Lieutenant Governors of Portsmouth (1290-1968)

In the 13th Century the Constable of Portchester Castle was also Governor of the towns of "Portshetre, Portesmouthe and of the Country about" and so continued until early in the reign of Henry VIII: subsequently Portsmouth had its own Captain or Governor. The Governorship was abolished in 1834 after which the post was recognised as the Garrison Commander. The post was abolished in 1968.
 
The records, shown below, were transcribed from "Extracts from the Portsmouth Records" by Robert East, published in 1891. Subsequent entries to 1968 were compiled from a variety of sources. This is not a complete record; research is continuing and the results are shown in a postscript below the list.

DatesNamePost
1290Henry HusseConstable of the King's Castle at Portchester and Town of Portsmouth
1316Eustace de Haeche 
1327John de Basing 
1328Richard Earl of Arundel 
1338John Hacket 
1347Eustace de Hocke 
1361John de Edyndon 
1369Richard Earl of Arundel 
1441Sir John Cherowin 
1461John Earl of Worcester 
1468William Ferrys de Say 
1473Anthony Widvile 
1483Sir William Uvedale 
1483-4William Mirfield 
1509William Coope 
1514Sir Thomas WyndhamDeputy Lieut.-Governor
1544Sir Anthony KnysetGovernor
1545Sir William PawletGovernor
1545John ChaddertonCaptain of Portsmouth
1551-2Richard Wingfield (Lord Powerscourt)Governor
1558Edward Tumour 
1558Lord Edward Paulet 
1559-71Sir Adrian Poynings 
1571-93Sir Henry Radclyfe 
1593-4Sir Charles Blount (Lord Mountjoy) 
 Sir Benjamin BerryLieut-Governor
1606-8Sir Francis VereGovernor
1609-30William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke 
1615Sir John BurfaceLieut-Governor
1620-24Sir John Oglander 
1624Sir Richard Morrison 
1630-38Sir Edward Cecil, Viscount WimbledonGovernor
 Sir  BrettLieut-Governor
1639-42George GoringGovernor
1640-1Robert WillisLieut-Governor
1643Sir William LewisGovernor
1644Colonel William Jephsort 
1645Colonel Richard Norton 
1648Robert Legg 
1648George Goring 
1649Colonel Desborough 
1649-59Colonel Nathaniel Whetham 
1656Major Peter MurfordLieut-Governor
1660-1Colonel Richard NortonGovernor
1661-73HRH James, Duke of York 
1662Sir William BerkleyLieut-Governor
1665Sir Phillip Honeywood 
1672George Legge 
1673Henry Slingsby 
1678Hon. Sir George LeggeGovernor
1682-87Lord Noel 
1688James Fitzjames 
1689Colonel RearsbyLieut-Governor
1689Colonel John Gibson 
1696-1712Major-General Thomas ErieGovernor
1697Hon. Robert FregueLieut-Governor
1701Colonel John Gibson 
1712William, Lord North and GreyGovernor
1714Lieut-General Thomas Erie 
1717Hon. Colonel Peter HawkerLieut-Governor
1719Hon. General Charles WillsGovernor
1720Hon. George Macartney 
1730-37John, Duke of Argyle and Greenwich 
1731General Hon. Peter CampbellLieut-Governor
1737-40Viscount ShannonGovernor
1740-52Lieut-General Philip Honeywood KB 
1751John LeightonLieut-Governor
1752-59Lieut-General William HawleyGovernor
1752Captain John MurrayLieut-Governor
1773-78Lieut-General Hon. Edward HarveyGovernor
1776Colonel Robert WatsonLieut-Governor
1778-82Lieut-General Hon. Robert MoncktonGovernor
1783Lieut-General Smith 
1783Henry, Earl of Pembroke 
1790Colonel Thomas TriggeLieut-Governor
1796Major-General Cornelius Cuyler 
1799General Sir William Pitt KBGovernor
1801Major-General John WhitelockeLieut-Governor
1805Colonel Hidebrand Oakes 
1805Major-General Hon. John Hope 
1806Major-General Sir George Prevost 
1809Major-General Arthur Whetham 
1810General The Hon. J. E. FoxGovernor
1811-27Field-Marshall, Earl Harcourt GCB 
1813Lieut-General Arthur WhethamLieut-Governor
1814Lieut-General W. Houston 
1814Major-General Kenneth Alexander 
1814Major-General W. Houston 
1818Lord Howard of Effingham KGB 
1820Major-General Sir George Corke KCB 
1823-8Major-General Sir James Lyons KCB 
1827General Sir W. Keppell KCBGovernor
1828HRH William, Duke of Gloucester KG GCB 
1828Major-General Sir Colin Campbell KCB 
1834-8Major-General Sir Thomas McMahon KCBLieut-Governor
1839Lieut-General Sir Hercules Pakenham KCB 
1847-51Lieut-General Lord Frederick Fitzclarence GCB 
1853Major-General James Simpson 
1855Major-General Henry William Breton 
1857Major-General Hon, Sir James York Scarlett GCB 
1860Lord William Paulet KCB 
1865Lieut-General Sir George Butler KCB 
1870Lieut-General Viscount Templeton KCB 
1874Lieut-General Sir Charles Hastings Doyle KCMG 
1877General Sir John Garvock GCB 
1878-84General HSH Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar KCB 
1884-89General Sir George Willis KCB KCMG 
1890-93HRH Arthur William Duke of Connaught KC KCB 
1893-98General Sir John Davis 
1898-1903General Sir Baker Russell 
1903-05General R. A. Montgomery CV0 CBMajor-General Commanding Portsmouth Defences
1903-08General Sir Henry Settle KCB DSO 
1908-11Major-General J. K. Trotter CB CMGMajor-General Commanding Southern Coast Defences
1911-16Major-General W. E. Blewett CB CMGMajor-General Commanding Portsmouth Garrison
1916-18Major-General F. C. Heath Caldwell CB 
1920Brid-General E. S. Girdwoomd CB CMG 
1921-24Colonel-Commandant E. S. Girdwood CG CMGOfficer Commanding Portsmouth Garrison
1924Colonel-Commandant C. A. Ker CMG CBE DSO 
1926Colonel-Commandant Sir Hugh J. Elles KCMG CB DSO ADC 
1927Colonel-Commandant J. T. Dreyer CB DSO RAGarrison Commander
1929Brigadier J. T. Dreyer CB DSO 
1930Brigadier G. W. Howard CMG DSO 
1931Brigadier L. 1. G. Morgan-Owen CMG CBE DSO 
1933-35Brigadier W. Green DSO 
1935-37Brigadier G. T. Raikes DSO 
1937Brigadier B. L. Montgomery DSO 
1938Brigadier W. Robb MC 
1939Brigadier G. E. M. Whittuck MC 
1940Brigadier C. St. Q. 0. Fullbrook-Leggett DSO MCGarrison Commander
1940Brigadier R. T. Hammick DSO 
1940-41Brigadier J. F. Harter DSO MC 
1941-42Brigadier A. H. Blest 
1942Colonel M. Everett DSO 
1942Colonel G. Dawes DSO MC 
1945Colonel R. E. Pickering 
1945Colonel J. A. Prescott 
1946Colonel E. W. Goodman DSO MC 
1946Lt-Col. B. D. Hamley MC TD 
1947Brigadier J. M. S. Pasley CBE MVO 
1948Brigadier H. C. W. Eastman DSO MVO 
1948Brigadier R. Barrow CBE 
1948-49Brigadier L. G. Holmes CBE 
1949Colonel J. C. Friedberger DS0 
1951-54Colonel A. C. Todd OBE 
1954-57Colonel A. W Edmeades MBE 
1957-59Colonel L. a'B. Robinson OBE 
1959-61Colonel G. H. Shorland 
1961-64Colonel L J. Aspland OBESenior Army Officer
1964-66Colonel R. D. Cheetham OBE 
1966-68Brigadier P. H Henson OBE 

 

FURTHER INFORMATION
 
Colonel John Fielder - Extracts from the House of Commons Journal
Ordered, That it be referred to a Committee, to consider how the said Sums of Nine hundred Thirty-seven Pounds Seven Shillings and One Peny, and Two hundred Eleven Pounds Four Shillings, may be paid and satisfied to Colonel John Feilder: And that the same Committee do likewise consider of an Allowance to be made to Colonel Feilder, as Governor of Portsmouth...
[From: 'House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 21 July 1649', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 6: 1648-1651 (1802), pp. 266-267. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=25716].
 
Resolved, &c. That this House doth approve of the Sum of Twelve hundred Pounds to be allowed unto Colonel John Fielder, for his Service as Governor of Portsmouth, from January 1642, until January 1644.
[From: 'House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 31 August 1649', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 6: 1648-1651 (1802), pp. 288-289. URL: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=25744]