Governor of Chester

The Governor of Chester was a military officer responsible for the garrison at Chester Castle. The equivalent or related role from the 11th to 14th centuries was Constable of Chester.

Governors

For earlier holders see Constable of Chester

• 1399: John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury
• 1643: (11 November–) John Byron, 1st Baron Byron[1]
• 1644 (19 May–): William Legge[2][3]
• 1644: John Marrow (shot by Parliamentary forces)
• 1644: Sir Nicholas Byron (captured during siege)
• 1644: John Byron, 1st Baron Byron
• 1646–?: Michael Jones (Parliamentarian)
• 1647- Col. William Massey of Audlem arrested by mutineers 30 June 1647- (Dore)

• 1650: Robert Dukenfield
• 1650s: Thomas Croxton
• 1659: Richard Dutton
• ?–1660: Robert Venables
• 1660–1663: Sir Evan Lloyd, 1st Baronet
• 1663–1682: Sir Geoffrey Shakerley
• 1682–1689: Peter Shakerley[4]
• 1689–1693: Sir John Morgan, 2nd Baronet[5]
• 1693–1702: Roger Kirkby[6]
• 1702–1705: Peter Shakerley (again)[4]
• 1705–1713: Hugh Cholmondeley, 1st Earl of Cholmondeley[7][8]
• 1713–1714: Thomas Ashton[8]
• 1714–1725: Hugh Cholmondeley, 1st Earl of Cholmondeley (again)
• 1725–1733: George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley[9]
• 1725–1770: George Cholmondeley, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley[10]
• 1770–1775: James Cholmondeley[11][12]
• 1775–1796: Charles Rainsford[13]
• 1796–1844: Edward Morrison[14]

Lieutenant-Governors

• 1644: Sir Francis Gamell[15]
• 1705– : Thomas Brooke[7]
• 1712–1713: Thomas Ashton[16]
• 1715–1730: William Newton
• 1731–1770: James Cholmondeley[11]
• 1770–1779: David Home[12]
• 1779–1786: Thomas Fraser[17]
• 1786–1802: William Gunn[18]
• 1802–1817: William Grey[19]
• 1817–1828: Edmund Coghlan[20]
• 1828–1843: Sir John Fraser[21]

References

1. Warburton 1849, p. 329.
2. Firth 1892, pp. 414–415.
3. Warburton 1849, pp. 425–426.
4. Eveline Cruickshanks and Richard Harrison, SHAKERLEY, Peter (c.1650-1726), of Hulme and Somerford, Cheshire and Chapel Street, Westminster in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, 2002. Accessed 20 March 2013.
5. D. W. Hayton, MORGAN, Sir John, 2nd Bt. (c.1650-93), of Kinnersley Castle, Herefs. in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, 2002. Accessed 10 May 2014.
6. Eveline Cruickshanks and Richard Harrison, KIRKBY, Roger (c.1649-1709), of Kirkby Ireleth, Lancs. in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, 2002. Accessed 20 March 2013.
7. Charles Dalton, English Army Lists and Commission Registers 1661-1714, volume V (1902) page 158.
8. Dalton, English Army Lists, volume VI (1904) page 184.
9. Eveline Cruickshanks and Richard Harrison, CHOLMONDELEY, Hon. George (1666-1733), of Cholmondeley, Cheshire in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, 2002. Accessed 10 April 2012.
10. Eveline Cruickshanks, CHOLMONDELEY, Hon. George (1703-70). in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, 1970. Accessed 10 April 2012.
11. Romney R. Sedgwick, CHOLMONDELEY, Hon. James (1708-75). in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, 1970. Accessed 10 April 2012.
12. "No. 11071". The London Gazette. 28 August 1770. p. 2.
13. "No. 11617". The London Gazette. 28 November 1775. p. 2.
14. "No. 13948". The London Gazette. 5 November 1796. p. 1062.
15. Warburton 1849, p. 432.
16. Dalton, English Army Lists, volume VI, page 183.
17. "No. 12021". The London Gazette. 12 October 1779. p. 4.
18. "No. 12804". The London Gazette. 18 November 1796. p. 552.
19. "No. 15487". The London Gazette. 12 June 1802. p. 597.
20. "No. 17279". The London Gazette. 23 August 1817. p. 1807.
21. "No. 18526". The London Gazette. 25 November 1828. p. 2172.

Sources

• Firth, Charles Harding (1892), "Legge, William (1609?-1672)", Dictionary of National Biography, London: Smith, Elder & Co, pp. 141–146
• Warburton, Eliot (1849), Memoirs of Prince Rupert and the Cavaliers, 2, London: R. Bentley