List of governors of the Danish West Indies

Last updated

Governor-General of the Danish West Indies
Danish: Generalguvernør for Dansk Vestindien
Flag of Denmark.svg
Peter von Scholten 02.jpg
Longest in office
Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten

14 July 1827 – 6 July 1848
Residence Government House (Christiansted)
Nominator Prime Minister of Denmark
Appointer Monarch of Denmark
PrecursorNone
Formation1756
First holder Christian Leberecht von Prøck
Final holder Henri Konow (acting)
Abolished31 March 1917
Succession Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
Map of the Danish West Indies, in Danish language. Dansk Vestindia.png
Map of the Danish West Indies, in Danish language.
Satellite image of the U.S. Virgin Islands, taken by NASA's satellite Landsat 7. US Virgin Islands.png
Satellite image of the U.S. Virgin Islands, taken by NASA's satellite Landsat 7.
A 1976 political map of U.S. and British Virgin Islands, produced by the CIA. Virgin Islands-map-CIA.jpg
A 1976 political map of U.S. and British Virgin Islands, produced by the CIA.
Map of Spanish (green), U.S. (red) and British (blue) Virgin Islands. SVG Map of Virgin Islands.svg
Map of Spanish (green), U.S. (red) and British (blue) Virgin Islands.

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

Contents

Governors of St. Thomas

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

PortraitIncumbentTermNotes
1 Erik Nielson Smit 6 May 1665 – 12 June 1666
2 Kjeld Jensen Slagelse c. 1666
3 Jørgen Iversen Dyppel 25 May 1672 – 4 July 1680
4 Nicolai Esmit 4 July 1680 – November 1682
5 Adolph Esmit November 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.

PortraitIncumbentTermNotes
1 Gabriel Milan 7 May 1684 – 27 February 1686
2 Mikkel Mikkelsen (interim)27 February 1686 – 29 June 1686
3 Christopher Heins 29 June 1686 – March 1687
4 Adolph Esmit (interim)March 1687 – October 1688Second term
5 Christopher Heins October 1688 – October 1689Second term
6 Johan Lorensen October 1689 – 17 September 1692
7 Frans de la Vigne 17 September 1692 – 7 April 1693
8Johan Lorensen7 April 1693 – 19 February 1702Second term
9 Claus Hansen 19 February 1702 – 8 February 1706
10 Joachim Melchior von Holten 8 February 1706 – 21 December 1708
11 Diderich Mogensen 21 December 1708 – 1710
12 Mikkel Knudsen Crone 1710 – 8 August 1716
13 Erik Bredal 8 August 1716 – April 1724During his term St. John was occupied.
14 Friderich Moth April 1724 – May 1727
15 Henrich von Suhm May 1727 – 21 February 1733
16 Phillip Gardelin  [ da; no ]21 February 1733 – 21 February 1736During his term there was a slave rebellion.
17Friderich Moth21 February 1736 – 13 April 1744Second term. Also governor of St. Croix (see below).
18 Jacob Schönemann 1740 – 1744
19 Christian von Schweder 13 April 1744 – 25 April 1747
20 Christian Suhm 25 April 1747 – 1758
21 Harrien Felschauer 1758 – 1760
22 Johan Georg von John 1760 – April 1764
23 Ditlev Wilhelm Wildthagen April 1764 – November 1764
24 Peter Gynthelberg November 1764 – 1765
25 Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff.jpg Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff 1765 – 1766Later Governor-General (see below).
26 Jens Nielsen Kragh 1766 – 1773
27 Portrait of Thomas de Malleville(A. Brynnich) (cropped).jpg Thomas de Malleville 1773 – 1796Later Governor-General (see below).
28 Balthazar Frederik Mühlenfels 1796 – 1800Later Governor-General (see below).
29 Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten.jpg Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten  [ da; de; no ]1800 – March 1801
30 John Clayton Cowell 31 March 1801 – 27 March 1802 British occupation.
31 Willum von Rømeling 27 March 1802 – 1803
32 Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten.jpg Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten1803 – December 1807Second term
33 Fitzroy J. Grafton McLean December 1807 – 20 November 1815 British occupation.
34 Christian Ludvig von Holten (1774-1829).webp Christian Ludvig von Holten 20 November 1815 – 1818
35 Peter von Scholten 01.jpg Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten 1818 – 1820Later Governor-General (see below).
36 Christian Ludvig von Holten (1774-1829).webp Christian Ludvig von Holten |valign=top|February 1820 – March 1820Second term
37 Peter von Scholten 01.jpg Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten April 1820 – July 1820Second term
38 Carl Gottlieb Fleischer 1820 – 1822
39 Carl Wilhelm Jessen by Hans Hansen (cropped).jpg Carl Wilhelm Jessen 1822 – 1823
40 Peter von Scholten 01.jpg Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten 1823 – 1826Third term
41 Johannes Sobotker (1797).jpg Johannes Søbøtker 1826 – 1829
42 Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn  [ de ]1829 – 1830
43 Levin Jurgen Rohde (1786-1857) 01.png Lewin Jürgen Rohde
Acting
1830-1830
44Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn1830 - 1831
45 Levin Jurgen Rohde (1786-1857) 01.png Lewin Jürgen Rohde
Acting
1831 - 1832
46Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn1832 – 1834
47 Frederik Oxholm 1834 – 1836
48 Johannes Sobotker (1797).jpg Johannes Søbøtker1836 – 1848Second term
49 Hans Henrik Berg 1848
50Frederik Oxholm1848 – 1852Second term
51Hans Henrik Berg1853 – 1862Second term

Governors of St. Croix

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

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Term startTerm endTime in office
1 Frederik Moth
(1694–1746)
16 November 173320 February 17362 years, 96 days
Blank.png Gregers Høg Nissen
(1709–1772)
Acting
24 February 173616 April 17448 years, 52 days
Blank.png Paul Lindemark Jørgensen
Acting
16 April 174415 May 17473 years, 29 days
2 Jens Hansen  [ da ]
(1719–1758)
15 May 174722 December 17514 years, 221 days
3 Peter Clausen  [ da ]
(1721–1784)
22 December 17516 August 17553 years, 227 days

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.

Governor-generals of the Danish West Indies

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Term startTerm endTime in office
Governor-general
1 Christian Leberecht von Prøck
(1718–1780)
6 August 17557 August 176611 years, 1 day
2 Peter Clausen  [ da ]
(1721–1784)
7 August 17664 May 17703 years, 270 days
3Frederik Christian Moth
(1730–1808)
4 May 17701 March 17721 year, 302 days
4 Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff.jpg Ulrich Wilhelm de Roepstorff
(1729–1821)
1 March 177231 July 17731 year, 152 days
Heinrich Ludwig Ernst von Schimmelmann.jpg Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann
(1743–1793)
Acting
31 July 177327 October 177388 days
(2) Peter Clausen  [ da ]
(1721–1784)
27 October 177324 June 1784 †10 years, 329 days
5 Heinrich Ludwig Ernst von Schimmelmann.jpg Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann
(1743–1793)
25 June 178431 December 17873 years, 189 days
6 Ernst Walterstorff (1755-1820).jpg Ernst Frederik Walterstorff
(1755–1820)
31 December 178725 July 17946 years, 206 days
7 Wilhelm Anton Lindemann  [ da ]
(1739–1801)
25 July 17948 May 17961 year, 288 days
8 Portrait of Thomas de Malleville(A. Brynnich) (cropped).jpg Thomas de Malleville
(1739–1798)
8 May 179626 October 17982 years, 171 days
(7) Wilhelm Anton Lindemann  [ da ]
(1739–1801)
26 October 179831 March 18012 years, 156 days
(6) Ernst Walterstorff (1755-1820).jpg Ernst Frederik Walterstorff
(1755–1820)
16 February 180216 February 18031 year, 0 days
9 Balthazar Frederik Mühlenfels
(?–1807)
16 February 180322 March 18074 years, 34 days
10 Hans Christopher Lillienskjøld
(1762–1837)
22 March 180725 December 1807 [a] 278 days
British occupation
Henry Bowyer 25 December 18071 April 18157 years, 97 days
End of British occupation
11 Peter Lotharius Oxholm.jpg Peter Lotharius Oxholm
(1753–1827)
1 April 18151 May 18161 year, 30 days
Johan Henrik von Stabel
(1774–1831)
Acting
1 May 18161 July 181661 days
12 Adrian Benjamin Bentzon.png Adrian Benjamin Bentzon
(1777–1827)
1 July 181626 June 18192 years, 360 days
Johan Henrik von Stabel
(1774–1831)
Acting
26 June 181916 October 18201 year, 112 days
13 Carl Adolph Rothe by Hermann Ernst Freund, 1837 - Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek - Copenhagen - DSC09253.JPG Carl Adolph Rothe
(1767–1834)
16 October 18205 July 18221 year, 262 days
14 Johan Frederik Bardenfleth, 1772-1833.jpg Johan Frederik Bardenfleth
(1772–1833)
5 July 182214 July 18275 years, 9 days
15 Peter von Scholten 02.jpg Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten [b]
(1784–1854)
14 July 18276 July 184820 years, 358 days
Frederik Oxholm
(1801–1871)
Acting
6 July 184827 November 1848144 days
Government Commissioner
16 Portraet af Peder Hansen (1798-1880).jpg Peder Hansen  [ da ]
(1798–1880)
27 November 184824 June 18512 years, 209 days
Governor
17 Fritz Feddersen.jpg Hans Ditmar Frederik Feddersen
(1805–1863)
24 June 185127 April 18553 years, 307 days
18 Johan Frederik Schlegel.jpg Johan Frederik Schlegel
(1817–1896)
27 April 185531 May 18605 years, 34 days
19 Vilhelm Ludvig Birch.jpg Vilhelm Ludvig Birch  [ da ]
(1817–1896)
31 May 186025 February 187110 years, 270 days
John Christmas (1799-1873).jpg John Christmas
(1799–1873)
Acting
26 February 187130 June 1871124 days
Frantz Bille.jpg Frantz Bille  [ da ]
(1832–1918)
Acting
30 June 18711 July 18721 year, 1 day
Johan August Stakeman
(1805–1891)
Acting
1 July 187224 September 187285 days
20 Janus August Garde, governor of the Danish West Indies.tif Janus August Garde
(1823–1893)
25 September 187223 March 18818 years, 179 days
21 Christian Arendrup by Hansen & Weller.jpg Christian Henrik Arendrup
(1837–1913)
15 April 188122 December 189312 years, 251 days
22 Carl Emil Hedemann.jpg Carl Emil Hedemann
(1852–1929)
22 December 189317 April 19039 years, 116 days
23 Herman August Jürs
(1838–1918)
17 April 190321 January 1904279 days
24 Frederik Theodor Martin Mortensen Nordlien 22 January 19042 April 19051 year, 70 days
25 Christian Magdalus Thestrup Cold by Elfelt.jpg Christian Cold
(1863–1934)
27 April 190521 February 19084 years, 25 days
26 Peter Carl Limpricht  [ da ]
(1838–1912)
21 February 19084 August 19113 years, 164 days
27 Image from page 56 of "The Virgin islands of the United States of America; historical and descriptive, commercial and industrial facts, figures, and resources" (1918) (14803354133).jpg Christian Helweg-Larsen  [ da ]
(1860–1934)
7 November 19113 October 19165 years, 60 days
Henri Konow by Elfelt.jpg Henri Konow
(1862–1939)
Acting
3 October 191631 March 1917179 days

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

Notes

  1. Deposed in the Invasion of the Danish West Indies.
  2. During his tenure Johannes Søbøtker served as acting Governor-General: 24 April 1831 – 18 July 1832, 22 March 1834 – 28 January 1835

References

    Bibliography