Colonial Secretary of the Gambia explained

Post:	Colonial Secretary of the Gambia
Department:	Gambia Colony and Protectorate
Member Of:	Executive Council, Legislative Council
Reports To:	Governor of the Gambia
Formation:	1831
First:	Andrew Hunter
Abolished:	1965

The Colonial Secretary of the Gambia was a key role in the colonial government of the Gambia Colony and Protectorate. Often seen as the deputy to the governor or colonial administrator, Colonial Secretaries often stepped in as acting governors through the Gambia's colonial history. The Colonial Secretary was in charge of administration, and was often a career Colonial Office official.

Role

In the British Empire, Colonial Secretaries served as the chief administrative officers of the colonies to which they were posted. They were responsible for conducting the business of the Governor with the various Government Departments and also with the colonists, collectively and individually. The Colonial Secretary was a member of both the Executive and Legislative Councils. Often, Colonial Secretaries became responsible for a variety of functions, including customs, post offices, shipping, harbours, prisons, and natives. The Colonial Secretary often also dealt directly with England.^[1] The role was often quite flexible depending on the Governor, as the Colonial Office was reluctant to define the role precisely, fearing it would become redundant.^[2]

List of colonial secretaries

No.	Name	Took office	Left office	Ref.
1	Andrew Hunter	1831	1837
2	Thomas Lewis Ingram	1837	1849
3	Daniel Robertson	1849	c. 1865
4	Charles O'Brien	1910	1912
5	Herbert Henniker-Heaton	1917	1921	^[3]
6	Charles Rufus Marshall Workman CBE	1921	1931
7	Godfrey C. B. Parish FRGS	1931	1934
8	Captain Harris R. Oke CMG OBE	1934	1941
9	Sir Kenneth W. Blackburne GCMG GBE	1941	1943
10	George D. Chamberlain CMG	1943	1947
11	Edward R. Ward CMG	1947	1952
12	Sir Alexander N. A. Waddell KCMG DSC	1952	1956
13	Kenneth G. S. Smith CMG	1956	1962

Notes and References

Web site: Colonial Secretary's Office Records. State Records Office of Western Australia. 18 May 2018.
Book: Laidlaw, Zoe. Colonial Connections 1815-1845: Patronage, the Information Revolution and Colonial Government. Manchester University Press. 2006. Manchester. 100-101.
Web site: Gambia Colonial Governors since 1900. Gulabin.com. 15 July 2018.