Governor of the Cayman Islands
Encyclopedia
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's overseas territory of the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the Governor is to act as the de facto head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, and he or she is responsible for appointing the Premier
Leader of Government Business
The Premier of the Cayman Islands is the political leader and head of government. The post of Premier in the Cayman Islands is the equivalent to Chief Minister or Prime Minister in other British Overseas Territories. It is the highest political level that can be attained within the British colonial...
, who is the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the Legislature.
The current Governor is Duncan Taylor
Duncan Taylor (FCO)
Duncan Taylor, CBE is a British diplomat and the current Governor of the Cayman Islands. He joined the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1982 as a Desk Officer in its West Africa department...
, who replaced previous Governor Stuart Jack
Stuart Jack
Stuart Duncan Macdonald Jack, CVO is a British diplomat and a former Governor of the Cayman Islands. He joined the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1972...
in January 2010.
The Governor has his own flag, the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
defaced
Defacement (flag)
Defacement is a term used in heraldry and vexillology to refer to the addition of a symbol or charge to another flag. For example, the Australian flag is the British Blue Ensign defaced with the Southern Cross in the fly and the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter, beneath the Union...
with the territory's coat of arms
Coat of arms of the Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands’ coat of arms consists of a shield, a crested helm and the motto. Three green stars, representing each of the three inhabited Islands , are set in the lower two-thirds of the shield. The stars rest on blue and white wavy bands representing the sea...
. The official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Governor is Government House
Government House, Cayman Islands
Government House is the official residence of the Governor of the Cayman Islands, located in Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.The building was constructed in 1964 as a replacement to the older Government House which was located in George Town...
in Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
Seven Mile Beach is a long crescent of coral-sand beach on the western shore of Grand Cayman island. Despite its name, the beach is only about long. Seven Mile Beach known for its beauty, recently receiving the honor of "The Caribbean's Best Beach" from Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine...
.
History
Until 1962, the Cayman Islands were administered as a dependency of JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. When Jamaica gained independence, the Islands were split and became an overseas territory. An Administrator was appointed to the Islands from 1959. After 1971, the British Government appointed a Governor.
List of Chief Magistrates of the Cayman Islands
- William Cartwright (1750 - 1776)
- William Bodden (1776 - 1823)
- James Coe the Elder (1823 - 1829)
- John Drayton (1829 - 1842)
- James Coe the Younger (1842 - 1855)
- William Eden (1855 - 1879)
- William Bodden Webster (1879 - 1888)
- Edmund Parsons (1888 - 1898)
List of Commissioners of the Cayman Islands
- Frederick Shedden Sanguinnetti (1898 - 1907)
- George Stephenson Hirst (1907 - 1912)
- Arthur C Robinson (1912 - 1919)
- Hugh Houston Hutchings (1919 - 1929)
- Captain G. H. Frith (1929 - 1931)
- Ernest Arthur Weston (1931 - 1934)
- Allen Wosley Cardinall, CMG (later Sir Allen) (1934 - 1940)
- Albert C. Panton Snr, MBE (acting) (1940 - 1941)
- John Perry Jones (1941 - 1946)
- Ivor Otterbein Smith (later CMG, OBE) (1946 - 1952)
- Andrew Morris Gerrard, CMG (1952 - 1956)
- Alan Hillard Donald (1956 - July 4, 1959)
List of Administrators of the Cayman Islands
- Alan Hilliard Donald (July 4, 1959 - 1960)
- Jack RoseJack RoseJack Rose may refer to:* Jack Rose , a classic cocktail* Jack Rose American gambler and underworld figure in NYC* Jack Rose , American guitarist...
(1960 - 1964) - John Alfred Cumber (1964 - 1968)
- Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long (1968 - August 22, 1971)
List of Governors of the Cayman Islands
- Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long (August 22, 1971 - 1972)
- Kenneth Roy Crook (1972 – 1974)
- Thomas Russell (1974 – 1981)
- George Peter Lloyd (1982 – June 10, 1987)
- Alan James Scott (June 10, 1987 – September 14, 1992)
- Michael Edward John Gore (September 14, 1992 – October 16, 1995)
- John Wynne Owen (October 16, 1995 – May 5, 1999)
- Peter Smith (May 5, 1999 – May 9, 2002)
- James Ryan (May 9, 2002 – May 29, 2002) (acting)
- Bruce DinwiddyBruce DinwiddyBruce Harry Dinwiddy, CMG was the governor of the Cayman Islands from May 2002 to October 2005. He has been working for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1973. Before becoming a colonial administrator, he was posted to many countries around the world, and also spent time working in England...
(May 29, 2002 – October 28, 2005) - George A. McCarthyGeorge A. McCarthyGeorge McCarthy, OBE is the former Chief Secretary of the Cayman Islands. He served as Financial Secretary for twelve years prior to assuming the post of Chief Secretary in November 2004 until retirement in 2009. The post of Chief Secretary is the second-highest post in the Cayman Islands...
(October 28, 2005 – November 23, 2005) (acting) - Stuart JackStuart JackStuart Duncan Macdonald Jack, CVO is a British diplomat and a former Governor of the Cayman Islands. He joined the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1972...
(November 23, 2005 – December 2, 2009) - Donovan Ebanks (December 2, 2009 – January 15, 2010) (acting)
- Duncan TaylorDuncan Taylor (FCO)Duncan Taylor, CBE is a British diplomat and the current Governor of the Cayman Islands. He joined the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1982 as a Desk Officer in its West Africa department...
(January 15, 2010 – Present)