List of colonial governors of Gabon explained

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

TenureIncumbentNotes
1839 to 1844Louis Édouard Bouët, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa1st Term
1844 to 1845Louis Édouard Bouët-Willaumez, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1845 to 1848Jean-Baptiste Montagniés de la Roque, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1848 to 1848Auguste Baudin, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa1st Term
1848 to 1850Louis Édouard Bouët-Willaumez, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa2nd Term
1850 to 1851Charles Pénaud, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1851 to 1854Auguste Baudin, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa2nd Term
Colony of Gorée and Dependencies
1854 to March 1856Jérôme Félix Monléon, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
March 1856 to 1859Auguste Léopold Protet, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1859 to 1861Auguste Bosse, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of AfricaNaval Division centred at Gabon; Gorée incorporated into Senegal
1861 to 1863Octave François Charles, baron Didelot, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1863 to 1866André Émile Léon Laffon de Ladébat, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1866 to 1868Alphonse Jean René, vicomte Fleuriot de Langle, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1868 to 1869Alexandre François Dauriac, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1869 to 1870Victor Auguste, baron Duperré, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1870 to 1872Siméon Bourgeois, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1872 to 1874Antoine Louis Le Couriault du Quilio, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1874 to 1875Charles Henri Jules Panon du Hazier, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1875 to 1877Amédée Louis Ribourt, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1877 to 1879François Hippolyte Allemand, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1879 to 1881Bernard Ernest Mottez, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1881 to 24 January 1883Richild, baron Grivel, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1884 to 1886Jules Marie Armand Cavelier de Cuverville, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa
1886Incorporated into French Congo

See below for continuation 1886 to 17 August 1960

TenureIncumbentNotes
French Suzerainty
1843 to 1844Antoine Devoisins, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1844 to 1844Joseph Marie Millet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1844 to 1846André Brisset, Commandant-Particular of Gabon1st Term
1846 to 1846Méquet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1846 to 1846Clément Grosjean, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1846 to 1847Jean Carrilès, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1847 to 1848André Brisset, Commandant-Particular of Gabon2nd Term
25 March 1848 to 1848Alphonse Alexandre Sourdeaux, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
3 August 1848 to 1848Eugène Jean Antoine Desperles, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
December 1848 to 1849Étienne Charles Deschanel, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
10 August 1849 to 1850Jean-Auguste Martin, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
15 December 1850 to 1853Alexis Édouard Vignon, Commandant-Particular of Gabon1st Term
1853 to 1854Théophile Quillet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
Colony of Gorée and Dependencies
1854 to 1857Théophile Quillet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1857 to 1859Alexis Édouard Vignon, Commandant-Particular of Gabon2nd Term
1859 to 1860Pierre Alexandre Mailhetard, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
4 August 1860 to 1861César Charles Joseph Pradier, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1861 to 1863Paul Claude Nicolas Brue, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1863 to 1866Charles Ferdinand Eugène Baur, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1866 to 1867Joseph Henri Brunet-Millet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1867 to 1868Théophile Aube, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1868 to 1869Frédéric Amable Bourgarel, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1869 to 1871Hippolyte Adrien Bourgin, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1871 to 1873Gustave Aristide Léopold Garraud, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1873 to 1875Charles Henri Jules Panon du Hazier, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1875 to 1876Félix Ambroise Clément, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1876 to 1879Paul-Michel-Frédéric Caudière, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1879 to 1880Augustin Ernest Dumont, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1880 to 1881Jules Émile Hanet-Cléry, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1881 to 1883Émile Masson, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1883 to 1885Jean Joseph Cornut-Gentille, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
1885 to 1886Georges Émile Pradier, Commandant-Particular of Gabon
Incorporated into French Congo
29 June 1886 to 12 March 1889Noël Ballay, Lieutenant Governor
12 March 1889 to 1 June 1894Charles de Chavannes, Lieutenant Governor
1 June 1894 to 22 January 1899Albert Dolisie, Lieutenant Governor
1 May 1899 to 1902Émile Gentil, Lieutenant Governor
21 January 1904 to 19 April 1905Louis Auguste Bertrand Ormières, Lieutenant Governor
19 April 1905 to 5 August 1905Paul Cousturier, acting Lieutenant Governor
5 August 1905 to 27 April 1906Alfred Fourneau, acting Lieutenant Governor
27 April 1906 to 23 April 1907Charles Henri Adrien Noufflard, acting Lieutenant Governor
23 April 1907 to 26 April 1907Alfred Martineau, Lieutenant Governor
26 April 1907 to 20 January 1909Édouard Émile Léon Telle, acting Lieutenant Governor
20 January 1909 to 10 February 1909Frédéric Claude Weber, acting Lieutenant Governor
10 February 1909 to 9 November 1909Charles Amédée Rognon, acting Lieutenant Governor
9 November 1909 to 15 January 1910Léon Félix Richaud, acting Lieutenant Governor
Incorporated into French Equatorial Africa
15 January 1910 to June 1911Léon Félix Richaud, acting Lieutenant Governor
June 1911 to 21 February 1912Georges Poulet, Lieutenant Governor
21 February 1912 to 18 April 1914Paul Pierre Adam, acting Lieutenant Governor
18 April 1914 to 1 June 1917Joseph Guyon, Lieutenant Governor
1 June 1917 to 12 June 1918Georges Thomann, acting Lieutenant Governor
12 June 1918 to 30 June 1919Maurice Pierre Lapalud, Lieutenant Governor
30 June 1919 to 13 April 1920Jean Henri Marchand, acting Lieutenant Governor
13 April 1920 to 29 May 1922Jean Henri Marchand, Lieutenant Governor
29 May 1922 to 15 June 1923Edmond Émilien Cadier, acting Lieutenant Governor
15 June 1923 to 29 July 1924Louis Nicolas Marie Cercus, acting Lieutenant Governor
29 July 1924 to 19 June 1931Marie Joseph Jules Pierre Bernard, Lieutenant Governor
19 June 1931 to November 1931Louis Vingarassamy, acting Lieutenant Governor
November 1931 to 26 September 1934Louis Bonvin, Lieutenant Governor
26 September 1934 to 24 October 1936Louis Bonvin, Administrator-Superior
24 October 1936 to 11 September 1937Louis Bonvin, Governor-Delegate
11 September 1937 to 29 August 1938Georges Parisot, Governor-Delegate
29 August 1938 to 2 November 1939Georges Pierre Masson, acting Governor-Delegate
2 November 1939 to 14 November 1940Georges Pierre Masson, Governor-Delegate
14 November 1940 to 15 March 1941André Parant, acting Governor-Delegate
26 March 1941 to 30 May 1942Victor Valentin Smith, Governor
30 May 1942 to 26 August 1943Charles André Maurice Assier de Pompignan, Governor
26 August 1943 to 19 November 1944Paul Vuillaume, Governor
19 November 1944 to 28 March 1946Numa Sadoul, acting Governor1st Term
28 March 1946 to 31 December 1947Roland Pré, Governor
31 December 1947 to 6 April 1949Numa Sadoul, Governor2nd Term
6 April 1949 to 4 January 1950Pierre François Pelieu, acting Governor
4 January 1950 to 19 October 1951Pierre François Pelieu, Governor
19 October 1951 to 25 April 1952Charles Hanin, acting Governor
25 April 1952 to 29 January 1958Yves Digo, Governor
29 January 1958 to 28 November 1958Louis Sanmarco, Governor
autonomous Gabonese Republic
28 November 1958 to July 1959Louis Sanmarco, High Commissioner
July 1959 to 17 August 1960Jean Risterucci, High Commissioner
17 August 1960Independence as Republic of Gabon

For continuation after independence, see: Heads of State of Gabon

See also