This is a list of colonial governors of Suriname, a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Suriname was first colonized by the British, and captured by the Dutch in 1667, who governed it as Surinam until 1954. The country of Suriname achieved independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 25 November 1975.
List of governors Italics indicate de facto continuation of office
TenurePortrait Incumbent NotesEnglish SuzeraintyEnglish colony1650 to 1654 Anthony Rowse, Governor1654 to 27 February 1667 William Byam, GovernorDutch SuzeraintyDutch colony27 February 1667 to 18 October 1667 Maurits de Rama, Governor18 October 1667 to 3 November 1667John Harman, Governor3 November 1667 to 1 February 1668 Samuel Barry, Governor1668 to 18 June 1669 Abraham Crijnssen, acting Governor1669 to 1671 Philip Lichtenberg, Governor1671 to 1677 Pierre Versterre, acting Governor1677 Abel Thisso, acting Governor1677 to 1678 Tobias Adriaensen, Governor1678 to April 1680 Johannes Heinsius, Governor1680 Everhard van Hemert, acting Governor1680 to 1683 Laurens Verboom, acting Governor1683 to 19 July 1688Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck, Governor1688 to 1689 Abraham van Vredenburgh, acting Governor1689 to 1696 Johan van Scharphuizen, Governor14 May 1696 to 2 March 1707 Paulus van der Veen, Governor2 March 1707 to 27 September 1707 William de Gruyter, Governor27 September 1707 to 19 January 1710 , acting Governor1st time19 January 1710 to 28 July 1715 Johan de Goyer, Governor28 July 1715 to 22 January 1716 , acting Governor2nd time22 January 1716 to 4 October 1717 Johan de Mahony, Governor4 October 1717 to 2 March 1718 , acting Governor3rd time2 March 1718 to 4 September 1721 Jan Coetier, Governor4 September 1721 to 1 March 1722 , acting Governor4th time1 March 1722 to 17 September 1727 Hendrik Temminck, Governor-General17 September 1727 to 9 November 1728 , acting Governor-General5th time9 November 1728 to 26 January 1734 Karel Emilius Henry de Cheusses, Governor-General26 January 1734 to 11 December 1734 Johan Fredrik Cornelis de Vries, acting Governor-General1st time11 December 1734 to 26 January 1735 Jacob Alexander Henry de Cheusses, Governor-General26 January 1735 to 4 March 1735 Johan Fredrik Cornelis de Vries, acting Governor-General2nd time4 March 1735 to 22 December 1735Council22 December 1735 to 11 August 1737Johan Raye van Breukelerwaard, Governor-General11 August 1737 to 15 October 1742 Gerrit van de Schepper, Governor-General15 October 1742 to 23 April 1751Jan Jacob Mauricius, Governor-General23 April 1751 to 7 September 1752 Hendrik Ernst baron van Spörcke, acting Governor-General7 September 1752 to 22 October 1754 Wigbold Crommelin, acting Governor-General1st time22 October 1754 to 24 August 1756 Pieter Albert van der Meer, Governor-General24 August 1756 to 21 January 1757Jan Nepveu, acting Governor-General1st time21 January 1757 to 22 November 1768 Wigbold Crommelin, Governor-GeneralActing to 20 September 1757, 2nd time22 November 1768 to 27 February 1779Jan Nepveu, Governor-GeneralActing to 8 March 1770, 2nd time27 February 1779 to 23 September 1783 Bernard Texier, Governor-General23 September 1783 to 24 December 1784 Wolphert Jacob Beeldsnijder Matroos, acting Governor-General24 December 1784 to 15 June 1790Jan Gerhard Wichers, Governor-GeneralAppointed "Gouverneur over Suriname en kolonel van de Militie" by the States General on 26 April 178415 June 1790 to 20 August 1799Juriaan François Friderici, Governor-GeneralActing to 24 August 1792British Occupation20 August 1799 to 4 December 1802Juriaan François Friderici, Governor-GeneralDutch Suzerainty4 December 1802 to 9 December 1803 Willem Otto Blois van Treslong, acting Governor-General9 December 1803 to 9 May 1804 Pierre de Berranger, Commissioner-GeneralBritish Occupation9 May 1804 to 15 April 1805 Sir Charles Green, Governor-General15 April 1805 to 27 September 1808 William Carlyon Hughes, Lieutenant Governor27 September 1808 to 4 May 1809 Sir John Wardlau Bar, acting Governor-General4 May 1809 to 8 November 1811 Charles Ferdinand Bentinck, Chief Commissioner8 November 1811 to 27 February 1816Pinson Bonham, acting Governor-GeneralDutch Suzerainty27 February 1816 to 18 July 1816Willem van Panhuys, Governor-General18 July 1816 to 1 April 1822 Cornelis Vaillant, Governor-General1 April 1822 to 12 October 1827Abraham de Veer, Governor-General12 October 1827 to 1 August 1828Johannes van den Bosch, Commissioner-GeneralUnited with Curaçao and Dependencies as Dutch Caribbean1 August 1828 to 19 December 1831Paulus Roelof Cantz'laar, Governor-General19 December 1831 to 5 June 1838 Evert Ludolph baron van Heeckeren, Governor-GeneralActing to 6 May 18325 June 1838 to 16 July 1839 Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General1st time16 July 1839 to 31 March 1842Julius Constantijn Rijk, Governor-General31 March 1842 to 15 November 1842 Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General2nd time15 November 1842 to 16 July 1845 Burchard Joan Elias, Governor-General16 July 1845 to 13 October 1845 Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General3rd time13 October 1845 to 27 January 1848Reinier Frederik baron van Raders, Governor-GeneralSeparate colony27 January 1848 to 1 March 1852Reinier Frederik baron van Raders, Governor-General1 March 1852 to 14 June 1852 Philippus de Kanter, acting Governor-General4th time14 June 1852 to 22 June 1852 Coenrad Barends, acting Governor-General22 June 1852 to 25 August 1855Johann George Otto Stuart von Schmidt auf Altenstadt, Governor-General25 August 1855 to 11 August 1859Charles Pierre Schimpf, Governor-General11 August 1859 to 29 June 1867Reinhart Frans van Lansberge, Governor-General29 June 1867 to 1 August 1873Willem Hendrik Johan van Idsinga, Governor-General1 August 1873 to 1 November 1882Cornelis Ascanius van Sypesteyn, Governor-General1 November 1882 to 30 July 1885Johannes Herbert August Willem van Heerdt tot Eversberg, Governor-General30 July 1885 to 18 July 1888Hendrik Jan Smidt, Governor-General18 July 1888 to 30 January 1889Warmolt Tonckens, acting Governor-General1st time30 January 1889 to 27 June 1891Maurits Adriaan de Savornin Lohman, Governor-General27 June 1891 to 12 May 1896Titus Anthony Jacob van Asch van Wijck, Governor-General12 May 1896 to 4 October 1902Warmolt Tonckens, Governor-General2nd time4 October 1902 to 12 September 1905Cornelis Lely, Governor-General12 September 1905 to 18 November 1905 David Hendrick Havelaar, acting Governor-General18 November 1905 to 28 February 1908Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg, Governor-General28 February 1908 to 10 August 1908Pieter Hofstede Crull, acting Governor-General1st time10 August 1908 to 30 June 1911Dirk Fock, Governor-General30 June 1911 to 14 July 1911 Louis Marie Rollin Couquerque, Governor-General14 July 1911 to 17 October 1911Pieter Hofstede Crull, acting Governor-General2nd time17 October 1911 to 25 November 1916Willem Dirk Hendrik baron van Asbeck, Governor-General25 November 1916 to 25 November 1919 Gerard Johan Staal, Governor-General1st time25 November 1919 to 15 July 1920 Lambertus Johannes Rietberg, Governor-General1st time15 July 1920 to 16 December 1920 Gerard Johan Staal, Governor-General2nd time16 December 1920 to 23 May 1921 Lambertus Johannes Rietberg, Governor-General2nd time23 May 1921 to 21 May 1924Aarnoud van Heemstra, Governor-General1st time21 May 1924 to 18 September 1924 Lambertus Johannes Rietberg, Governor-General3rd time18 September 1924 to 21 February 1925 Jan Luchies Nysingh, Governor-General21 February 1925 to 1 April 1928Aarnoud van Heemstra, Governor-General2nd time1 April 1928 to 16 August 1933Abraham Arnold Lodewijk Rutgers, Governor-General16 August 1933 to 3 January 1944Johannes Coenraad Kielstra, Governor-General16 August 1935 to 12 April 1936Johannes Cornelis Brons, acting Governor-GeneralActing for Kielstra, 1st timeSeptember 1938 to January 1939Johannes Cornelis Brons, acting Governor-GeneralActing for Kielstra, 2nd time3 January 1944 to 2 August 1948Johannes Cornelis Brons, Governor-General3rd time2 August 1948 to 2 December 1949Willem Huender, Governor-General2 December 1949 to 15 December 1954Jan Klaasesz, Governor-GeneralConstituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; end of colonial status15 December 1954 to 11 February 1956Jan Klaasesz, Governor-General11 February 1956 to 18 March 1963Jan van Tilburg, Governor-General19 March 1963 to 22 August 1964Archibald Currie, Governor-GeneralActing to 1 May 196322 August 1964 to 26 February 1965 François Haverschmidt, acting Governor-General26 February 1965 to 12 August 1968Henry Lucien de Vries, Governor-General12 August 1968 to 25 November 1975Johan Ferrier, Governor-General25 November 1975Independence as Republic of Suriname
See also Politics of Suriname President of Suriname First Lady of Suriname Vice President of Suriname List of prime ministers of Suriname List of deputy prime ministers of Suriname
External links
World Statesmen - Suriname