List of Governors of the Danish West Indies

Map of the Danish West Indies, in Danish language.

The following is a list of Governors of the Danish West Indies, a Danish colony in the Caribbean encompassing the territory of the present-day United States Virgin Islands.

Governors of St. Thomas

St. Thomas was claimed by Denmark-Norway in 1665.

Erik Nielson Smit, Governor of St. Thomas (May 6, 1665 – June 12, 1666)
Kjeld Jensen Slagelse, Governor of St. Thomas (c. 1666)
Jørgen Iversen Dyppel, Governor of St. Thomas (May 25, 1672 – July 4, 1680)
Nicolai Esmit, Governor of St. Thomas (July 4, 1680 – November 1682)
Adolph Esmit, Governor of St. Thomas (November 1682 – May 7, 1684)

Governors of St. Thomas & St. John

St. John (St. Jan) was claimed by Danish West India Company in 1683, which was disputed by the British until 1718.

Gabriel Milan, (May 7, 1684 – February 27, 1686)
Mikkel Mikkelsen, interim (February 27, 1686 – June 29, 1686)
Christopher Heins, (June 29, 1686 – March 1687)
Adolph Esmit, second term, interim (March 1687 – October 1688)
Christopher Heins, second term (October 1688 – October 1689)
Johan Lorensen, (October 1689 – September 17, 1692)
Frans de la Vigne, (September 17, 1692 – April 7, 1693)
Johan Lorensen, second term (April 7, 1693 – February 19, 1702)
Claus Hansen, (February 19, 1702 – February 8, 1706)
Joachim Melchior von Holten, (February 8, 1706 – December 21, 1708)
Diderich Mogensen, interim (December 21, 1708 – 1710)
Mikkel Knudsen Crone, (1710 – August 8, 1716)
Erich Bredal, (August 8, 1716 – April 1724). During his term St. John was occupied.
Friderich Moth, (April 1724 – May 1727)
Hendrich von Suhm, (May 1727 – February 21 1733)
Phillip Gardelin, (February 21, 1733 – February 21, 1736). During his term there was a slave rebellion.
Friderich Moth, second term (February 21, 1736 – April 13, 1744). Also governor of St. Croix (see below).
Jacob Schönemann, (1740 – 1744)
Christian von Schweder, (April 13, 1744 – April 25, 1747)
Christian Suhm, (April 25, 1747 – 1758)

Governors of St. Croix

St. Croix was bought from French West India Company in 1733.

Friderich Moth, Governor of St. Croix (January 8, 1735 – May 15, 1747)
Gregers Høg Nissen, Chief ad interim of St. Croix (February 24, 1736 – April 16, 1744)
Paul Lindemark, Chief ad interim of St. Croix (April 16, 1744 – May 15, 1747)
Jens Hansen, Governor of St. Croix (May 15, 1747 – December 1751)
Peter Clausen, Governor of St. Croix (December 1751 – 1758)

In 1754, the Danish West Indies were sold by Danish West India Company to King Frederick V, becoming royal Danish colonies. Hereafter, St. Croix was governed by the Governors-General of the Danish West Indies.

Governors of the royal colonies

Christian Leberecht von Prøck, Governor-General of St. Thomas & St. John (1756 – 1766), from 1758 also of St. Croix.
- Harrien Felschauer, Governor of St. Thomas & St. John (1758 – 1760)
- Johan Georg von John, Governor of St. Thomas & St. John (1760 – April 1764)
- Ditlev Wilhelm Wildthagen, Governor of St. Thomas & St. John (April 1764 – November 1764)
- Peter Gynthelberg, Governor of St. Thomas & St. John (November 1764 – 1765)
- Ulrich Wilhelm Roepstorff, Governor of St. Thomas & St. John (1765 – 1766)
Peter Clausen, Governor-General (1766 – 1771)
- Jens Nielsen Kragh, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1766 – 1773)
Frederick Moth, Governor-General (1770 – 1772)
Ulrich Wilhelm von Roepstorff, Governor-General (1772 – 1773)
Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann, Governor-General (July 1773 – October 1773)
- Thomas de Malleville, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1773 – 1796) - later Governor-General (see below)
Peter Clausen, Governor-General (October 1773 – 1784)
Henrik Ludvig Ernst von Schimmelmann, Governor-General, second term (1784 – 1787)
Ernst Frederik von Walterstorff, Governor-General (1787 – 1794)
Wilhelm Anton Lindemann, Governor-General (1794 – 1796)
Thomas de Malleville, Governor-General (1796 – 1799)
- Balthazar Frederik Mühlenfels, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1796 – 1800)
Wilhelm Anton Lindemann, Governor-General, second term (1799 – March 31, 1801)
- Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1800 – March 1801)
- John Clayton Cowell, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (March 31, 1801 – March 27, 1802). British occupation.
Ernst Frederik von Walterstorff, Governor-General, second term (February 16, 1802 – October 27, 1802)
Baltharzar Frederik Mühlenfels, Governor-General (October 27, 1802 – 1807)
- Willum von Rømeling, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (March 27, 1802 – 1803)
- Casimir Wilhelm von Scholten, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John, second term (1803 – December 1807)
Hans Christopher Lillienskjøld, Governor-General (March 1807 – December 1807)
Henry Bowyer, Governor-General (December 1807 – 1808)
- Governor McLean, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (December 1807 – November 20, 1815). British occupation.
Peter Lotharius von Oxholm, Governor-General (1815 – 1816)
- Christian Ludvig von Holten, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (November 20, 1815 – 1818)
Johan Henrik von Stabel, Governor-General (May 1816 – July 1816)
Adrian Benjamin Bentzon, Governor-General (1816 – 1820)
- Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1818 – 1820). Later Governor-General (see below)
Carl Adolph Rothe, Governor-General (1820 – 1822)
- Christian Ludvig von Holten, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John, second term (February 1820 – March 1820)
- Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John, second term (April 1820 – July 1820)
- Carl Gottlieb Fleischer, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1820 – 1822)
Johan Frederik Bardenfleth, Governor-General (1822 – 1827)
- Carl Wilhelm Jessen, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1822 – 1823)
- Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John, third term (1823 – 1826)
- Johannes Söbötker, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1826 – 1829)
Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten, Governor-General (1827 – July 1848)
- Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1829 – 1834)
- Frederik von Oxholm, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1834 – 1836)
- Johannes Söbötker, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John, second term (1836 – 1848)
Frederik von Oxholm, acting Governor-General (July 1848 – November 1848)
- Hans Hendrik Berg, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John (1848)
Peder Hansen, Government Commissioner (November 1848 – 1851)
- Frederik von Oxholm, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John, second term (1848 – 1852)
Hans Ditmar Frederik Feddersen, Governor-General (1851 – 1855)
- Hans Hendrik Berg, Governor of St. Thomas, St. John, second term (1853 – 1862)
Johan Frederik Schlegel, Governor-General (1855 – 1861)
Vilhelm Ludvig Birch, Governor-General (1861 – 1871)
John Christmas, Governor-General (February 1871 – June 1871)
Frantz Ernst Bille, acting Governor-General (June 1871 – July 1872)
Johan August Stakeman, acting Governor-General (July 1872 – September 1872)
Janus August Garde, Governor-General (September 1872 – 1881)
Christian Henrik Arendrup, Governor-General (1881 – 1893)
Carl Emil Hedemann, Governor-General (1893 – 1903)
Herman August Jürs, Governor-General (1903 – 1904)
Frederik Theodor Martin Mortensen Nordlien, Governor-General (1904 – 1905)
Christian Magdalus Thestrup Cold, Governor-General (1905 – 1908)
Peter Carl Limpricht, Governor-General (1908 – 1911)
Lars Christian Helweg-Larsen, Governor-General (1911 – October 3, 1916)
Henri Konow, acting Governor-General (October 3, 1916 – March 31, 1917)

The Danish West Indies were sold by Denmark to the United States on December 12, 1916. The administration was officially turned over on March 31, 1917, and the first US governor was Edwin Taylor Pollock. For governors of the territory after the establishment of the US administration, see List of Governors of the United States Virgin Islands.

Bibliography

Waldemar Westergaard, The Danish West Indies under Company Rule (1671 - 1754) (MacMillan, New York, 1917)
World Statesmen, accessed April 6, 2006

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