Governor of the Cayman Islands

The governor of the Cayman Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the Cayman Islands. The governor, a civil servant who has in modern times typically been a British subject normally resident in the United Kingdom, is appointed by the monarch from the staff of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state, and is responsible for appointing the premier, who is the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the Legislature.

Governor of the Cayman Islands
Coat of arms of the Cayman Islands
Standard of the governor of the Cayman Islands
Incumbent Jane Owen since 21 April 2023
Style	His/Her Excellency
Member of	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Residence	Government House, Cayman Islands
Appointer	Monarch of the United Kingdom
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation	1750
First holder	William Cartwright
Deputy	Deputy Governor of The Cayman Islands
Website	Office of the Governor

Standard of the governor of the Cayman Islands, 1971–99

The governorship has been held by Jane Owen since April 2023.

The governor has her own flag, the Union Flag defaced with the territory's coat of arms. The official residence of the governor is the Government House in Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman.

History

Until 1962, the Cayman Islands were administered as a dependency of Jamaica. When Jamaica gained independence, the islands were split and became a separate Crown colony. An administrator was appointed to the islands in 1959. After 1971, the British government appointed a governor. In 2013 Helen Kilpatrick became the Cayman Islands' first female governor. In 2023, Jane Owen became the second female 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 (1888–1907)

List of commissioners of the Cayman Islands

• Frederick Shedden Sanguinetti (1898–1906)
• 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)
• Allan Wolsey Cardinall, CMG (later Sir Allan) (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 – 4 July 1959)

List of administrators of the Cayman Islands

• Wing Commander Jack Rose CMG, MBE, DFC (1960–1964)
• John Alfred Cumber CMG, MBE, TD (1964–1968)
• Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long (1968 – August 22, 1971)

List of governors of the Cayman Islands

• Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long (22 August 1971 – 1972)
• Kenneth Roy Crook (1972–1974)
• Thomas Russell (1974–1981)
• George Peter Lloyd (1982 – 10 June 1987)
• Alan James Scott (June 10, 1987 – September 14, 1992)
• Michael Edward John Gore (14 September 1992 – 16 October 1995)
• John Wynne Owen (16 October 1995 – 5 May 1999)
• Peter Smith (5 May 1999 – 9 May 2002)
• Bruce Dinwiddy (19 May 2002 – 28 October 2005)
• Stuart Jack (23 November 2005 – 2 December 2009)
• Donovan Ebanks (2 December 2009 – 15 January 2010)
• Duncan Taylor (15 January 2010 – 7 August 2013)
• Helen Kilpatrick (6 September 2013 – 5 March 2018)
• Anwar Choudhury (26 March 2018 – 20 October 2018)
• Martyn Roper (29 October 2018 – 29 March 2023)
• Jane Owen (21 April 2023 – present)

External links

• Cayman Islands Government
• Cayman Islands @ worldstatesmen.org