This article lists the colonial governors of the former French Dahomey (1904–1958) in French West Africa, the present day nation of Benin.
List
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
TenurePortrait Incumbent NotesFrench SuzeraintyFrench Protectorate of Porto-Novo Protectorate placed over the Porto-Novo (Hogbonu) Kingdom25 February 1863 to 2 January 1865 Marius Daumas, AgentPorto-Novo Kingdom2 January 1865 to 14 April 1882noneFrench Protectorate of Porto-NovoRestored14 April 1882 to June 1882 June 1882 to 1883 Bonaventure Colonna de Lecca, Resident1883 to 1883 Henri Guilman, Resident1883 to 1884 Daniel Germa, Resident1884 to July 1884 Léopold Maignot, ResidentJuly 1884 to 1886 Dixon Myaz, Resident1886 to 1886 Émmanuel Roget, Resident1886 to 1887Jean-Marie Bayol, Resident1887 to 16 June 1887 Gentian-Antonin-Maire Péréton, Resident16 June 1887 to 11 July 1888 Victor-Marie-Paul Ballot, Resident1st term11 July 1888 to 1889 Paul-Alphonse-Frédéric-Mari de Beeckmann, Administrator1889 to 19 October 1889 Louis-Frédéric-Émil Tautain, Resident19 October 1889 to 22 December 1891 Victor-Marie-Paul Ballot, Resident2nd term22 December 1891 to 22 June 1893 Victor-Marie-Paul Ballot, Lieutenant GovernorPorto-Novo Colony22 June 1893 to 20 January 1894 Victor-Marie-Paul Ballot, Lieutenant GovernorDahomey Colony20 January 1894 to 22 June 1894 Victor-Marie-Paul Ballot, Lieutenant Governor22 June 1894 to 3 July 1899 Victor-Marie-Paul Ballot, Governor3 July 1899 to 8 October 1899 Jean-Baptiste Fonssagrives, acting Governor8 October 1899 to 26 November 1900 Pierre-Hubert-Auguste Pascal, acting Governor26 November 1900 to 5 May 1906Victor-Théophile Liotard, Governor5 May 1906 to 9 June 1906 Joseph-Étienne-Gabriel Lhuerre, acting Governor9 June 1906 to 16 July 1906 Charles-Emmanuel-Joseph Marchal, acting Governor16 July 1906 to 8 March 1908 Charles-Emmanuel-Joseph Marchal, Governor8 March 1908 to 22 September 1908Marie-Antoine Gaudart, acting Governor22 September 1908 to 9 October 1908 Charles-Désiré-Auguste Brunet, acting Governor9 October 1908 to 25 April 1909 Jean-Jules-Émile Peuvergne, Governor25 April 1909 to 6 March 1911 Henri-Jules-Jean-Baptiste Malan, Governor6 March 1911 to 24 June 1911 Raphaël-Velentin-Marius Antonetti, GovernorDahomey Colony and Dependencies24 June 1911 to 9 May 1912 Emile Merwart, Lieutenant-Governor9 May 1912 to 11 July 1912Charles-Henri-Adrien Noufflard, acting Lieutenant-Governor11 July 1912 to 7 April 1917Charles-Henri-Adrien Noufflard, Lieutenant-Governor7 April 1917 to July 1919 Gaston Fourn, acting Lieutenant-GovernorJuly 1919 to 29 August 1928Gaston Fourn, Lieutenant-Governor29 August 1928 to 4 April 1929 Lucien-Eugène Geay, acting Lieutenant-Governor4 April 1929 to 8 February 1931 Dieudonné-François-Joseph-Marie Reste, Lieutenant-Governor8 February 1931 to 7 January 1932 Théophile-Antione-Pascal Tellier, Lieutenant-Governor7 January 1932 to 2 August 1932 Louis-Placide Blacher, Lieutenant-Governor2 August 1932 to 22 July 1933 Louis Aujas, acting Lieutenant-Governor22 July 1933 to 24 August 1934 Jules Marcel de Coppet, Lieutenant-Governor24 August 1934 to 15 February 1935 Jean Desanti, acting Lieutenant-Governor15 February 1935 to 12 January 1937 Maurice-Léon Bourgine, Lieutenant-Governor12 January 1937 to 7 August 1937 Henri-Étienne Martinet, acting Lieutenant-Governor1st term7 August 1937 to 7 April 1938 Ernest Gayon, acting Lieutenant-Governor7 April 1938 to 1 June 1938 Henri-Étienne Martinet, acting Lieutenant-Governor2nd term1 June 1938 to 27 August 1940 Armand Léon Annet, Lieutenant-Governor27 August 1940 to 18 September 1940 Pierre-Jean-André Paliceti, acting Lieutenant-Governor18 September 1940 to 26 August 1943 Léon-Hippolyte Truitard, Lieutenant-Governor26 August 1943 to 21 May 1946 Charles-André-Maurice-Assier de Pompignan, Lieutenant-GovernorDahomey Overseas Territory21 May 1946 to 14 January 1948 Robert Legendre, acting Governor14 January 1948 to 13 January 1949 Jean-Georges Chambon, Governor13 January 1949 to 19 September 1949 Jacques-Alphonse Boissier, Governor19 September 1949 to November 1951 Claude Valluy, acting GovernorNovember 1951 to 21 June 1955 Charles-Henri Bonfils, Governor21 June 1955 to 21 March 1958 Marc-Casimir Biros, GovernorIn some sources Casimir-Marc Biros21 March 1958 to 15 July 1958 Bernard Hepp, acting Governor15 July 1958 to 4 December 1958 René Tirant, acting GovernorRepublic of DahomeyAutonomous4 December 1958 to 1 August 1960 René Tirant, High Commissioner1 August 1960Independence as Republic of Dahomey
For continuation after 1958 independence, see: List of presidents of Benin.
See also Kingdom of Dahomey (1600−1904) French Dahomey (1904−1958) Republic of Dahomey (1958–1975) People's Republic of Benin (1975–1990) Benin (1990−present)
References Rulers.org: Benin Geocities.com: Ivory Coast Rezoweb.com: Congo diaspora African States and Rulers, John Stewart, McFarland. Heads of State and Government, 2nd Edition, John V da Graca, MacMillan Press, 2000.