List of chief secretaries of Singapore

Resident councillors of Singapore (1826-1867)

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The resident councillor of Singapore was a high ranking government civil position in colonial Singapore during the Straits Settlements era. It was second only to the governor of the Straits Settlements in the colonial government.

Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Governor
(From–To)
Took office Left office
1 John Prince
(1772-1848)
15 August 1826 18 November 1827  

Robert Fullerton
(1826-1830)

2 Kenneth Murchison
(1794–1854)
29 November 1827 6 December 1833 Scotland Employee at
East India Company
 

Robert Ibbetson
(1830-1833)

3   Sir Samuel George Bonham
(1803–1863)
7 December 1833 18 November 1836 Kent, England Employee at
East India Company
Kenneth Murchison
(1833-1836)
4 Thomas Church
(1798–1860)
4 March 1837 20 September 1856 Somerset, England Assistant Resident of Pinang  

Samuel George Bonham
(1836-1843)

 

William John Butterworth
(1843-1855)

Edmund Augustus Blundell
(1855-1859)
5 Henry Somerset MacKenzie
(1826–1904)
[1][2]
22 September 1856 13 July 1859
[3]
 
William Orfeur Cavenagh
(1859-1867)
  Colonel Ronald MacPherson
(1817–1869)
10 March 1859 — 7 October 1860
As acting Resident Councillor
Island of Skye, Scotland Resident Councillor of Malacca
6 8 October 1860 31 March 1867

Colonial secretaries of the Straits Settlements (1867–1942)

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Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Governor
(From–To)
Took office Left office
1   Colonel Ronald MacPherson
(1817–1869)
1 April 1867 6 December 1869
(Died in office)
Island of Skye, Scotland Resident Councillor of Singapore  
Sir Harry St. George Ord
(1867-1871)
E W Shaw
Acting[4]
7 December 1869 5 June 1870 Colonial administrator
2   James Wheeler Woodford Birch
(1826–1875)
6 June 1870 4 November 1874 Colonial administrator
 
Edward Anson
(1871-1872)
1st time Acting
 
Sir Harry St. George Ord
(1872-1873)
 
Edward Anson
(1873)
2nd time Acting
 

Sir Andrew Clarke
(1873-1875)

  Thomas Braddell
(1823–1891)
Acting
4 November 1874 17 February 1876 County Wicklow, Ireland Attorney-General of Singapore
William Willans
(d. 1905)[5]
Acting
Colonial Treasurer of Straits Settlements
 

Sir William Jervois
(1875-1877)

Charles John Irving
(1831–1917)
Acting
London, England Auditor-General of Straits Settlements
3 Sir John Douglas
(1836–1885)
17 February 1876 17 August 1878 Limerick, Ireland Accountant General and Controller of Revenue
 
Edward Anson
(1877)
3rd time Acting
 

Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson
(1877-1879)

4   Sir Cecil Clementi Smith
(1840–1916)
3 September 1878 17 November 1885 London, England Colonial Treasurer of Hong Kong
 
Edward Anson
(1879-1880)
4th time Acting
 

Sir Frederick Weld
(1880-1887)

5   Sir John Frederick Dickson
(1835–1891)
17 November 1885
[6]
31 August 1891
[7][8]
Colonial administrator
 

Sir Cecil Clementi Smith
(1887-1893)

Arthur Philip Talbot
(b. 18?? – d. 19 December 1898)[9]
Acting
31 August 1891
[7][8]
9 March 1892
[10]
Colonial administrator
6   William Edward Maxwell
(1846–1897)
9 March 1892
[10]
11 February 1895 British Resident of Selangor
 
William Edward Maxwell
(1893-1894)
Acting
 

Sir Charles Mitchell
(1894-1899)

7   James Alexander Swettenham
(1846–1933)
11 February 1895 7 December 1899 Derbyshire, England Accountant General and Controller of Revenue
  Sir Walter Egerton
(1858–1947)
Acting
7 December 1899 5 July 1901 Colonial administrator  
James Alexander Swettenham
(1899-1901)
Acting
Charles Walter Sneyd-Kynnersley
(1849-1904)
Acting
Colonial administrator
8 Sir William Thomas Taylor
(1848–1931)
5 July 1901 31 December 1904 Accountant General and Controller of Revenue  
Sir Frank Swettenham
(1901-1904)
 

Sir John Anderson
(1904-1911)

9 Frederick George Penney
(c. 1856–1928)
1 January 1905 13 April 1905 Resident Councillor of Malacca
  Edward Lewis Brockman
(1865–1943)
Acting
13 April 1905 29 June 1906 Assistant Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements
10   Sir Arthur Young
(1854–1938)
29 June 1906 31 January 1911
[11]
Colonial administrator
Navy officer
11   Edward Lewis Brockman
(1865–1943)
1 February 1911
[11]
4 September 1911
[12]
Resident of Pahang
12 Richard James Wilkinson
(1867–1941)
4 September 1911
[12][13]
February 1916 Salonika, Greece British Resident at Negeri Sembilan  
Sir Arthur Young
(1911-1920)
William George Maxwell
(1871–1959)
Acting
February 1916
[14]
April 1916 Malacca, Straits Settlements British Adviser for Kedah
13 Sir Frederick Seton James
(1870–1934)
April 1916 19 March 1924 UK Colonial administrator
 

Sir Laurence Guillemard
(1920-1927)

George Hemmant
(1880–1964)
Acting
1st time Acting
19 March 1924 2 April 1924 Colonial administrator
14 Edward Shaw Hose
(1871–1946)
2 April 1924 21 November 1925 Surrey, England British Resident of Negri Sembilan
15 Sir Hayes Marriott
(1873–1929)
21 November 1925 16 December 1928 General Adviser to Johore
 

Sir Hugh Clifford
(1927-1929)

George Hemmant
(1880–1964)
2nd time Acting
16 December 1928 12 February 1929 Colonial administrator
16 Sir John Scott
(1878–1946)
12 February 1929 23 May 1933 Chief Secretary of Tanganyika Territory

Sir John Scott
(1929-1930)
Acting

 

Sir Cecil Clementi
(1930-1934)

17   Sir Andrew Caldecott
(1884–1951)
23 May 1933 7 December 1935 Kent, England Chief Secretary of Federated Malaya States (FMS)
 

Sir Shenton Thomas
(1934-1942) & (1945-1946)

18 Sir Alexander Sym Small
(1887–1944)
7 December 1935 19 January 1940 North Lanarkshire, Scotland Treasurer of Straits Settlements
19 Stanley Wilson Jones
(1888–1962)
19 January 1940 27 January 1942 British Resident of Selangor
Hugh Fraser
(1891–1944)
Acting
27 January 1942 15 February 1942 Colonial administrator

Colonial Secretaries of Singapore (1946-1955)

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Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Governor
(From–To)
Took office Left office
1 Sir Patrick Alexander Bruce McKerron
(1896–1964)
1 April 1946 29 April 1950 Aberdeen, Scotland Deputy Chief Civil Affairs Officer  
Sir Franklin Charles Gimson
(1946-1952)
J D M Smith
Acting
29 April 1950
[15]
30 June 1950
[16][17]
Colonial administrator
  Wilfred Lawson Blythe
(1896–1975)
30 June 1950 30 July 1953 Colonial administrator
2
Wilfred Lawson Blythe
(1952)
Acting
 
Sir John Fearns Nicoll
(1952-1955)
3 William Allmond Codrington Goode
(1907–1986)
30 July 1953 February 1955 Middlesex, England Colonial administrator

Chief Secretaries of Singapore (1955-1959)

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Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Term of office Origin Background or
previous appointment
Governor
(From–To)
Took office Left office
1 William Allmond Codrington Goode
(1907–1986)
February 1955 9 December 1957 Middlesex, England Colonial Secretary of Singapore William Goode
(1955)
Acting
Sir Robert Brown Black
(1955-1957)
William Goode
(1957-1959)
2 Edgeworth Beresford David
(1908–1965)
29 January 1958[18] 2 June 1959 London, England Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong

References

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  1. ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 12 March 1859. p. 2.
  2. ^ Corfield, Justin (2 December 2010). Historical Dictionary of Singapore. Scarecrow Press. p. 195. ISBN 9780810873872.
  3. ^ "The Overland Singapore Free Press". Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 14 July 1859. p. 5.
  4. ^ "Straits Settlement Government Gazette".
  5. ^ "Legislative Council". The Straits Times. 8 May 1875. p. 2.
  6. ^ "Death of Sir Frederick Dickson". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). 29 December 1891. p. 1.
  7. ^ a b "Departure of Sir Frederick Dickson". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). 1 September 1891. p. 6.
  8. ^ a b "Gazette Notifications". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). 1 September 1891. p. 10.
  9. ^ "Special Telegram". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 14 January 1899. p. 2.
  10. ^ a b "Local and General". Straits Times Weekly Issue. 15 March 1892. p. 2.
  11. ^ a b "The Governor's Trip". The Straits Times. 31 January 1911. p. 7.
  12. ^ a b "Mr. and Mrs. Brockman". The Straits Times. 5 September 1911. p. 7.
  13. ^ "No. 28527". The London Gazette. 1 September 1911. p. 6453.
  14. ^ "Legislative Council Changes". The Straits Times. 11 February 1916. p. 8.
  15. ^ "Mr. J.D.M. Smith". Malaya Tribune. 2 May 1950. p. 5.
  16. ^ "Mr. Blythe Back For New Post". The Straits Times. 30 June 1950. p. 7.
  17. ^ "Leaves Tomorrow". The Straits Times. 1 July 1950. p. 7.
  18. ^ "Last Chief Secretary". Singapore Standard. 30 January 1958. p. 4.
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