Pennsylvania: Colonial Governors: 1681-1776 |
| Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania [1] |
| Jun/Jul 1681 - 28 Oct/7 Nov 1682 |
William Markham [2] |
| Proprietary and Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging [3] |
| 28 Oct/7 Nov 1682 - Aug 1684 |
William Penn [4] |
| Council of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging: President of the Council |
| 18/28 Aug 1684 - 9/19 Feb 1688 |
Thomas Lloyd |
| Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging [5] |
| 9/19 Feb 1688 - 18/28 Dec 1688 |
Thomas Lloyd |
| 9/19 Feb 1688 - 18/28 Dec 1688 |
Robert Turner |
| 9/19 Feb 1688 - 18/28 Dec 1688 |
Arthur Cook |
| 9/19 Feb 1688 - 18/28 Dec 1688 |
John Simcock |
| 9/19 Feb 1688 - 18/28 Dec 1688 |
John Eckley |
| Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties Annexed under the Honorable William Penn, Lord Proprietor and Chief Governor of the same |
| 18/28 Dec 1688 - 1/11 Jan 1690 |
John Blackwell |
| Council of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging: President of the Council |
| 2/12 Jan 1690 - 2/12 Apr 1691 |
Thomas Lloyd |
| Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging [6] |
| 2/12 Apr 1691 - 26 Apr/6 May 1693 |
Thomas Lloyd |
| Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of the Province of New York, Province of Pennsylvania, Country of New Castle and the Territories and Tracts of Land depending thereon in America |
| 26 Apr/6 May 1693 - 26 Mar/5 Apr 1695 |
Benjamin Fletcher [7] |
| Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties annexed |
| 26 Mar/5 Apr 1695 - 10/20 May 1698 |
William Markham |
| Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties annexed |
| 10/20 May 1698 - 3/13 Dec 1699 |
William Markham |
| Proprietary and Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging [8] |
| 3/13 Dec 1699 - Nov 1701 |
William Penn [9] |
| Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging |
| Nov 1701 - 26 Apr/7 May 1703 |
Andrew Hamilton [10] |
| Council for the Government of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties annexed: President of the Council |
| 4/15 May 1703 - 3/14 Feb 1704 |
Edward Shippen [11] |
| Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties annexed [12] |
| 3/14 Feb 1704 - 1/12 Feb 1709 |
John Evans |
| 1/12 Feb 1709 - 31 May/11 Jun 1717 |
Charles Gookin |
| 31 May/11 Jun 1717 - 11/22 May 1719 |
William Keith [13] |
| Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware [14] |
| 11/22 May 1719 - 22 Jun/3 Jul 1726 |
William Keith (from 1721 Sir William Keith, Baronet) |
| Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware |
| 22 Jun/3 Jul 1726 - 5/16 Aug 1736 |
Patrick Gordon |
| Council of the Province of Pennsylvania: President of the Council |
| 5/16 Aug 1736 - 1/12 Jun 1738 |
James Logan |
| Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware [15] |
| 1/12 Jun 1738 - 23 Nov/4 Dec 1748 |
George Thomas [16] |
| 23 Nov/4 Dec 1748 - 3 Oct 1754 |
James Hamilton [17] |
| 3 Oct 1754 - 20 Aug 1756 |
Robert Hunter Morris [18] |
| 20 Aug 1756 - 17 Nov 1759 |
William Denny [19] |
| 17 Nov 1759 - 31 Oct 1763 |
James Hamilton [20] |
| 31 Oct 1763 - 16 Oct 1771 |
John Penn [21] |
| 16 Oct 1771 - 30 Aug 1773 |
Richard Penn [22] |
| Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware [23] |
| 30 Aug 1773 - 25 Jul 1776 |
John Penn |
| |
| [1] |
The Proprietary and Governor William Penn commissioned Markham as "Deputy Governor for him of the aforesaid Province" (10/21 Apr 1681). While attending the courts, Markham is recorded "Deputy Governor" or "Governor." |
| [2] |
Markham landed in New York before 21 Jun/1 Jul 1681 when he obtained a proclamation from the Commander-in-Chief of New York Brockholes, releasing justices and inhabitants of Pennsylvania from their allegiance to the Duke of York. Next Markham proceeded to the Lower Counties (Delaware) where the members of the Council appointed by him signed their attestation on 3/13 Aug 1681 at Upland. |
| [3] |
Also in official use: Proprietary and Governor of Pennsylvania, New Castle, St. Jones, Whorekills alias New Deal with their proper Liberties. |
| [4] |
Penn arrived to the shores of Delaware on 24 Oct/3 Nov 1682 and landed on 28 Oct/7 Nov 1682, receiving the possession of New Castle on the same day. He took over the executive functions, but Markham continued in office as Deputy Governor, probably until Sep 1683 when he sailed for England. |
| [5] |
Appointed to exercise the executive authority jointly as "deputy governor." |
| [6] |
Council of the Three Lower Counties, New Casde, Sussex and Kent: President of the Council (in dissidence)* |
| |
4/14 Apr 1691 - Mar ? 1692 John Cann |
| |
* The representatives of the Lower Counties on Delaware (New Castle, Sussex, and Kent) refused to recognize the validity of the appointment of Thomas Lloyd as deputy governor and withdrew from the Provincial Council, constituting a Council of the Lower Counties at the meeting at New Castle on 4/14 Apr 1691. |
| |
Lieutenant Governor for the Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex ** |
| |
Mar? 1692 - 26 Apr/6 May 1693 William Markham |
| |
** Lloyd and Markham were appointed deputy governors for the Province of Pennsylvania and the Three Lower Counties respectively by the commission issued by the Proprietary William Penn in late 1691. The commission was received in Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties before 5/15 Mar 1692, the date of the first known commission issued by Markham. Both deputies formed a power-sharing agreement, acting as "general government in legislation" (Apr 1692 - 26 Apr/6 May 1693). |
| [7] |
Also in New York. |
| [8] |
Also in official use: True and absolute Proprietary and Governor-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Territories thereunto belonging. |
| [9] |
Penn arrived to Philadelphia on 3/13 Dec 1699, taking over the executive functions. He sailed for England on or after 3/14 Nov 1701 when he signed some official documents aboard a ship before his departure. |
| [10] |
The first meeting of the Council after the departure of Penn took place on 14/25 Nov 1701, but Hamilton was unable to take the oath of office due to a disagreement over the authority of the persons appointed to administer the oaths. He was sworn in at the meeting of the Council on 21 Apr/2 May 1702 in Philadelhpia. |
| [11] |
The Anglican members of the Council took the oath of office and the Quaker members subscribed the affirmations on 16/27 Jul 1703. The delay was caused by a conflict arising from the refusal of the Quaker members to take oaths while the Anglican commissioners refused to administer the oaths only to the Anglican members of the Council. |
| [12] |
Also in official use: Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon (on, in) Delaware. |
| [13] |
The commission of Keith was read and published on 31 May/11 Jun 1717 in Philadelphia. He took the oath of office at the meeting of the Council on 1/12 Jun 1717. |
| [14] |
After the death of the Proprietary William Penn (30 Jul/10 Aug 1718), his son, William Penn Jr., claimed the proprietorship and issued a commission, appointing Keith "his Lieutenant Governor General and Commander-in-Chief over the Province and Territories" (submitted to the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania on 28 Apr/9 May 1719). The will of William Penn, however, never designated his son as the proprietary and when the commission, instructions and will were presented to the Pennsylvania Assembly (7/18 May 1719) the legislators advised to delay the publication of the commission. The Provincial Council approved the advice on 11/22 May 1719. Subsequently, the word "lieutenant" was dropped from official use in the title of governor evidently to avoid any offence to the parties disputing the proprietorship. An order of the Lords of Trade (30 Jul/10 Aug 1719) confirmed Keith in office. |
| [15] |
Also in official use: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Three Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware. |
| [16] |
Thomas took the oath of office during his stay in Antigua on 14/25 Apr 1738. |
| [17] |
Hamilton took the oath of office at the meeting of the Lords Justices in London on 4/15 Aug 1748. |
| [18] |
Morris took the oath of office before the King in Council in London on 21 Jun 1754. |
| [19] |
Denny took the oath of office before the King in Council in London on 17 May 1756. |
| [20] |
Hamilton took the oath of office before the King in Council in London on 10 Aug 1759. |
| [21] |
John Penn took the oath of office before the King in Council in London on 31 Aug 1763. |
| [22] |
Richard Penn took the oath of office before the King in Council in London on 16 Aug 1771. |
| [23] |
John Penn, who had inherited the proprietorship from his father, Richard Penn Sr., in 1771, was commissioned "deputy and Lieutenant Governor" by his co-proprietary Thomas Penn (14 Apr 1773) and took the oath of office before the King in Council in London on 30 Jun 1773. On his arrival to Philadelphia, the Provincial Council passed a resolution (30 Aug 1773), defining the style and title of John Penn as "One of the true and absolute Proprietaries of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the said Province and Counties, as well in his own Right, as by the Appointment of the Honorable Thomas Penn, Esq. the other true and Absolute Proprietary of the said Province and Counties." In official use this title was shortened to "Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delaware." |
