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Jamaica was served by governors of both colonizing powers of Spain and Britain who have influenced the history of the island.
Governors who served under Spanish rule
Juan de Esquivel
Born in Seville, Spain.
The first governor of Jamaica after the Spanish colonized the island in 1509.
Established a shipyard which is named after him. It is
Port Esquivel near Old Harbour in the parish of St. Catherine.
Francisco de Garaya
Founded Spanish Town in 1534.
Fernando Melgarejo
In 1598 he sought to halt the dwindling size of the Taíno population by giving them land that they could cultivate and live on. However the colonists objected because they did not want to lose their source of labour.
Repelled many attempts at invasion of the island by English, French, Dutch and Portuguese pirates .
Don Cristobal Arnaldo de Ysassi
The last governor under Spanish rule.
When the British invaded the island in 1655 he fled to the hilly interior with guerrilla forces.
Was defeated by the British at Ocho Rios in 1657 and at Rio Nuevo in 1658.
Along with his followers he escaped to Cuba in canoes in 1660.
Governors who served under British rule
Edward D’Oyley
Became first English governor in 1661 after Jamaica officially became an English colony after leading forces to defeat de Ysassi.
Gave landholdings to members of the black regiment who had been slaves under Spanish rule but had fought with the British.
Sir Thomas Modyford
Born in England then migrated to Barbados where he became a planter and speaker of the Barbadian House of Assembly
Came to Jamaica and was appointed Governor in 1664
The island was first divided into parishes under his rule.
Deprived of his governorship in 1670 and sent to England on trial for corruption.
Spent 2 years in the Tower of London and was eventually freed withour being tried.
Peter Beckford
Arrived in Jamaica shortly after it became an English colony.
First Custos of Kingston.
Acted at Governor in 1702.
Said to be the wealthiest planter in Jamaica at the time of
his death in 1710
Beckford Street in downtown Kingston is named after him as well as Petersfield, a town in the parish of Westmoreland.
Sir Nicholas Lawes
Served as governor from 1718 to 1722.
Tried and hanged pirates such as the notorious "Calico Jack" Rackham in an attempt to stamp out piracy.
Introduced coffee to Jamaica in 1730.
Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet
Served from 1752 to 1756.
Moved capital from Spanish Town to Kingston in 1755. This was later reversed by the king in 1758.
Planner of Fort Augusta now a female prison.
Howe Peter Browne, 2nd Marquis of Sligo
Came to Jamaica in 1834 to oversee the implementation of the apprenticeship system when slavery was abolished that year.
Established Jamaica's first free village Sligoville.
Edward John Eyre
Served from 1862 to 1865
Before coming to Jamaica he was an explorer in Australia.
Brutally suppressed the Morant Bay Rebellion
Recalled to England where there were two failed efforts to indict him for murder.
Sir John Peter Grant
Served from 1866 to 1874
The island became a crown colony the year he arrived. Established the police force and reformed the judiciary.
In 1872 he moved the capital from Spanish Town to Kingston.
First governor to reside at the present location of Kings House.
The St. Andrew community of Grant’s Pen is named after him.
Sir Anthony Musgrave
Served from 1877 to 1883.
Born in St John’s, Antigua.
Under his administration, the government bought the Jamaica Railway Company and expanded the service by adding more lines.
Created the Jamaica Scholarship.
Established the Institute of Jamaica in downtown Kingston which has built a tradition of developing the literature, arts and science.
The Musgrave Medal was created in 1897. These medals are awarded annually by the institute for excellence in the abovenamed fields.
Sir Sydney Haldane Olivier
Served from 1907 to 1913.
Acted as Governor 1900 and 1902.
Responsible for rebuilding Government offices and court buildings in downtown Kingston after the earthquake in 1907.
The first schoolboy football competition, the Olivier Shield started in 1910 was named after him.
Olivier Road in upper St. Andrew was also named after him.
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