| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|
| French rule of Saint-Louis, Senegal and Gorée Island by Chartered Companies |
| Expanding to small posts along West African Coast as Far as Gabon until 1850s |
| Governors of the |
| 1626 to 1658 | | |
| 1626–1631 | | |
| 1631–1641 | | |
| 1641–1648 | | |
| 1649–1650 | | |
| 1651–1658 | | |
| Governors of the |
| 1658 to 1664 | | |
| 1658–1661 | | |
| 1661–28 May 1664 | | |
| Governors of the Compagnie Française des Indes Occidentales |
| 1664 to 1672 | | |
| 28 May 1664 – 1668 | Jacquet | |
| 1668– 9 April 1672 | Sieur de Richemont | |
| Governor of the Compagnie du Sénégal |
| 1672 to 1673 | | |
| 1672–1673 | Sieur de Richemont | (acting) |
| Director of the Compagnie du Sénégal |
| 1674 to 1682 | | |
| 1674–1682 | | |
| Director of the Compagnie d'Afrique |
| 1682 to 1684 | | |
| 1682–12 September 1684 | | |
| Directors of the |
| 1684 to 1696 | | |
| 12 September 1684 – 1689 | | (1st time) |
| 1689–1690 | | |
| 1690 – Jan 1693 | | (2nd time) |
| Jan 1693 – Jul 1693 | n/a | Vacant |
| Jul 1693 – Mar 1696 | | (2nd time) |
| Directors of the Compagnie Royale du Sénégal |
| 1696 to 1709 | | |
| Mar 1696– 4 April 1697 | | (acting) |
| 4 April 1697 – 1 May 1702 | | (b. 1654–d. 1738) |
| 1702–1706 | | (b. 1654–d. 1738) |
| 1706–1709 | | (b. 1654–d. 1738) |
| Directors of the Compagnie de Rouen |
| 1710 to 1718 | | |
| 1710–15 August 1711 | | (d. 1711) |
| 1712– 2 May 1713 | | |
| 20 April 1714 – 15 December 1718 | | |
| Directors of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales |
| 1718 to 1758 | | |
| 15 December 1718 – May 1720 | | |
| May 1720 – Apr 1723 | | (d. 1725 or 1726) (1st time) |
| 1723–1725 | | |
| 1725 | | (2nd time) |
| 1725–1726 | | |
| 1726–1733 | | |
| 1733– 7 March 1733 | | (d. 1733) |
| 1733–1738 | | (acting to 1736) |
| 1738–1746 | | (b. 1711–d. 1795) |
| 1746–30 April 1758 | Jean-Baptiste Estoupan de la Brüe[1] | |
|
| British Seizure of Senegalese Possessions Ruled From Gorée Island and The Gambia. |
| British Governors |
| 1758 to 1779 | | |
| 30 April 1758 – 10 February 1763 | | |
| 10 February 1763 – 25 May 1765 | | |
| 25 May 1765 – Nov 1775 | | |
| 25 May 1765 – Apr 1766 | | (Gambia Superintendent of Trade) |
| Nov 1775– 8 April 1777 | | |
| 8 April 1777 – 18 August 1778 | | |
| 18 August 1778 – 11 February 1779 | | (did not assume office) |
| 18 August 1778 – 11 February 1779 | | (acting) |
| British Lieutenant Governors |
| 1776 to 1779 | | |
| Apr 1776–24 January 1774 | | |
| 24 January 1774 – Aug 1775 | | |
| Aug 1774 – Nov 1775 | | |
| Nov 1775 – Dec 1775 | | (acting) |
| Dec 1775– 8 August 1776 | | (b. 1737–d. 1802) |
| 8 August 1776 – 1776 | | (acting) (1st time) |
| 1776–18 August 1778 | | (acting) |
| 18 August 1778 – 11 February 1779 | | (acting) (2nd time) |
| French Reclaiming of Senegalese Possessions Ruled From Saint-Louis, Senegal and Gorée Island. |
| Royal government, then French First Republic, then French First Empire. From 1789 under Ministry of the Navy, controlling all posts to Gabon. |
| French Governors |
| 1779 to 1809 | | |
| 11 February 1779 – Mar 1779 | | duc de Lauzun (b. 1747–d. 1793) |
| Mar 1779– 7 March 1781 | | |
| 7 March 1781 – Jul 1782 | | (acting) |
| Jul 1782 – Feb 1784 | | |
| Feb 1784 – Feb 1786 | | sieur de Repentigny (b. 1721–d. 1786) |
| Feb 1786 – Dec 1787 | | chevalier de Boufflers (b. 1738–d. 1815) |
| Dec 1787 – Jan 1801 | | (b. 17..–d. 1807)(1st time) |
| Jan 1801– 2 July 1802 | | (acting) |
| 2 July 1802 – 27 October 1802 | | |
| 27 October 1802 – 12 September 1807 | | (2nd time) |
| Sep 1807–13 July 1809 | | |
|
| British Seizure of Senegalese Possessions Ruled From Gorée Island and The Gambia. |
| British Governors |
| 1809 to 1817 | | |
| 13 July 1809 – 1811 | | (d. 1848) |
| 1811–1814 | | (b. 1764–d. 1824) |
| 1814–25 January 1817 | | |
| French Reclaim Senegalese Possessions Ruled From Saint-Louis, Senegal and Gorée Island. |
| Royal government restored by British. Under Ministry of the Navy, controlling all posts to Gabon until the 1850s. |
| French Commandants |
| 1817 to 1828 | | |
| 25 January 1817 – Dec 1817 | | (1st time) |
| Dec 1817–13 March 1819 | | (acting) |
| 13 March 1819 – 14 August 1820 | | (2nd time) |
| 14 August 1820 – 1 March 1821 | Louis-Jean-Baptiste Le Coupé de Montereau, baron Lecoupe | (acting) |
| 1 March 1821 – 18 May 1827 | Jacques-François Roger, baron Roger after 1824[2] | (b. 1787) |
| 18 May 1827 – 7 January 1828 | | (acting) |
| French Governors |
| 7 January 1828 – 11 May 1829 | | (b. 1787) |
| 11 May 1829 – 24 May 1831 | | |
| 24 May 1831 – 18 October 1833 | | (d. 1833) |
| 18 October 1833 – 15 November 1833 | Jean-Baptiste Bertrand Armand Cadéot | (acting) |
| 13 November 1833 – 10 May 1834 | | |
| 10 May 1834 – 1 July 1836 | Louis Pujol | |
| 1 July 1836 – Dec 1836 | | |
| Dec 1836–13 September 1837 | Louis-Laurent-Auguste Guillet | (acting) |
| 13 September 1837 – 12 April 1839 | | |
| 1839–1854: Posts from Gambia south under command of Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa. See Colonial heads of Gabon |
| 12 April 1839 – 19 May 1841 | | (b. 1780) |
| 19 May 1841 – 7 May 1842 | | (b. 1761) |
| 1842–1860: For subdivision Colony of Gorée and Dependencies see Colonial heads of Côte d'Ivoire |
| 7 May 1842 – 5 February 1843 | Paul Pageot Des Noutières | |
| 5 February 1843 – 24 May 1844 | Édouard Bouët-Willaumez | (b. 1808–d. 1871) |
| 24 May 1844 – Jul 1844 | Auguste-Lazare Laborel | (acting) |
| Jul 1844–11 December 1845 | Pierre Thomas | (acting) |
| 11 December 1845 – 20 March 1846 | François-Marie-Charles Ollivier | (d. 1846) |
| 20 March 1846 – 30 August 1846 | Hoube | (acting) |
| 30 August 1846 – 24 August 1847 | , count of Gramont | (b. 1805–d. 1847) |
| 24 August 1847 – 7 September 1847 | Caille | (acting) (d. 1847) |
| 7 September 1847 – Nov 1847 | Léandre Bertin du Château | (acting) (b. 1804–d. 1884) |
| Nov 1847 – Aug 1850 | Auguste Baudin | (b. 1800–d. 1877) |
| Aug 1850–11 October 1850 | Aumont | (acting) |
| 11 October 1850 – 16 December 1854 | Auguste Léopold Protet | (1st time) (b. 1808–d. 1862) |
| May 1853–30 January 1854 | André César Vérand | (acting for Protet) |
| 31 January 1854 – 16 December 1854 | Auguste Léopold Protet | (2nd time) |
| 1854: all other West African possessions fall under subdivision of Senegal: Colony of Gorée and Dependencies. |
| 16 December 1854 – 1 June 1861 | Louis Léon César Faidherbe | (b. 1818–d. 1889) |
| 4 September 1858 – 12 February 1859 | A. Robin | (acting for Faidherbe) |
| 4 October 1860: Ivory Coast territory moved to the Ivory Coast-Gabon colony see Colonial heads of Côte d'Ivoire |
| 1 June 1861 – 1 December 1861 | Léopold François Stephan | (acting) (b. 1815) |
| 1 December 1861 – 13 May 1863 | Jean Bernard Jauréguiberry | (b. 1815–d. 1887) |
| 13 May 1863 – 14 July 1863 | Émile Pinet-Laprade | (1st time)(b. 1822–d. 1869)(acting) |
| 14 July 1863 – 1 May 1865 | Louis Léon César Faidherbe | (2nd time) |
| 1 May 1865 – 17 August 1869 | Émile Pinet-Laprade | (2nd time) (acting to 12 July 1865) |
| 18 August 1869 – 17 October 1869 | Ferdinand Charles Alexandre Tredos | (b. 1820)(acting) |
| 17 October 1869 – 18 June 1876 | François-Xavier Michel Valière | (b. 1826–d. 1886) |
| 18 June 1876 – Apr 1880 | Louis Briere de l'Isle | (b. 1827–d. 1896) |
| 27 February 1880: Haut-Sénégal military region created as sub division. See Colonial heads of Mali |
| Apr 1880– 4 August 1881 | Louis Ferdinand de Lanneau | (b. 1822) |
| 4 August 1881 – Oct 1881 | Marie Auguste Deville de Perière | (b. 1825) (acting) |
| Oct 1881–28 June 1882 | Henri Philibert Canard | (b. 1824–d. 1894) |
| 1882: Coastal sections of Guinea separated from Senegal, become Rivières du Sud, later French Guinee. |
| 28 June 1882 – 16 November 1882 | Aristide Louis Antoine Vallon | (b. 1826–d. 1897) |
| 16 November 1882 – 28 June 1883 | René Servatius | |
| 28 June 1883 – 25 July 1883 | Adolphe Ernest Auguste Le Boucher | (b. 1837–d. 1896) (acting) |
| 25 July 1883 – 15 April 1884 | Henry Bourdiaux | (acting) (b. 1838–d. 1899) |
| 15 April 1884 – 14 April 1886 | Alphonse Seignac-Lesseps | |
| 1886: Gabon and Eastern coastal possessions separated from Senegal, become French Congo |
| 14 April 1886 – 29 April 1888 | Jules Genouille | (b. 1839–d. 1923) |
| 29 April 1888 – 22 September 1890 | Léon Émile Clément-Thomas | |
| 18 August 1890: French Sudan Territory separated from Senegal. See: Colonial heads of Mali |
| 22 September 1890 – 19 May 1895 | Henri Félix de Lamothe | (b. 1843–d. 1926) |
| 19 May 1895 – 28 June 1895 | Louis Mouttet | (acting)(b. 1857–d. 1902) |
| Incorporated into French West Africa – 16 June 1895 Command of French West Africa Handed to Governor General |
| Governors of Sénégal now subordinate to Governor General of French West Africa |
| 28 June 1895 – 1 November 1900 | Jean Baptiste Émile Louis | (b. 1853–d. 19..) |
| 1 November 1900 – 26 January 1902 | Noël Eugène Ballay | (b. 1847–d. 1902) |
| 26 January 1902 – 15 March 1902 | Pierre Paul Marie Capest | (b. 1857–d. 19..) |
| 15 March 1902 – 11 November 1902 | Ernest Roume | (b. 1858–d. 1934) |
| 11 November 1902 – 26 August 1907 | Camille Lucien Xavier Guy | (b. 1860–d. 1929) |
| 26 August 1907 – 15 December 1907 | Joost van Vollenhoven | (acting) (b. 1877–d. 1918) |
| 15 December 1907 – 10 June 1908 | Martial Henri Merlin | (b. 1860–d. 1935) |
| 10 June 1908 – 17 October 1908 | Jean Jules Émile Peuvergne | (b. 1849–d. 19..)(1st time) |
| 17 October 1908 – 23 February 1909 | Maurice Gourbeil | |
| 23 February 1909 – 2 May 1909 | Marie Antoine Edmond Gaudard (acting) | |
| 2 May 1909 – 5 February 1911 | Jean Jules Émile Peuvergne | (2nd time) |
| 5 February 1911 – 13 May 1914 | Henri François Charles Core | |
| 13 May 1914 – 1916 | Raphaël Valentin Marius Antonetti | (b. 1872–d. 1938) |
| 20 March 1917 – 23 September 1920 | Fernand Émile Levêque | |
| 23 September 1920 – 17 September 1921 | Théophile Antoine Pascal | (acting) |
| 17 September 1921 – 4 July 1925 | Pierre Jean Henri Didelot | (b. 1870–d. 19..) |
| 4 July 1925 – 23 May 1926 | Camille Théodore Raoul Maillet | (1st time) (acting) |
| 23 May 1926 – 23 October 1926 | Joseph Zébédée Olivier Cadier | (acting) |
| 23 October 1926 – 12 March 1929 | Léonce Alphonse Noël Henri Jore | (b. 1882–d. 1975) |
| 12 March 1929 – 4 July 1930 | Maurice Beurnier (1st time) | (b. 1878–d. 19..) |
| 4 July 1930 – 15 August 1931 | Camille Théodore Raoul Maillet | (2nd time) |
| 15 August 1931 – 14 October 1931 | Benoît Louis Rebonne | (acting) |
| 14 October 1931 – Dec 1936 | Maurice Beurnier | (2nd time) |
| Dec 1936–25 October 1938 | Louis Lefebvre | |
| 25 October 1938 – 1940 | Jean Paul Parisot | |
| 1 January 1941 – 22 December 1942 | Georges Pierre Rey | |
| 22 December 1942 – 2 December 1943 | Hubert Jules Deschamps | (b. 1900–d. 1979) |
| 2 December 1943 – Jun 1945 | Charles Jean Dagain | (b. 1885–d. 1969) |
| Jun 1945 – Apr 1946 | Pierre Louis Maestracci | |
| Apr 1946–20 May 1947 | Oswald Durand | (b. 1888–d. 1982) |
| 20 May 1947 – 19 October 1950 | Laurent Marcel Wiltord | |
| 19 October 1950 – 25 April 1952 | Camille Victor Bailly | (b. 1907–d. 1984) |
| 25 April 1952 – 19 February 1954 | Lucien Eugène Geay | (b. 1900) |
| 19 February 1954 – 31 October 1955 | Maxime Marie Antoine Jourdain | |
| 31 October 1955 – 10 February 1957 | Jean Colombani | (b. 1903) |
| 10 February 1957 – 25 November 1958 | | (b. 1909) |
| African High Commissioner of the French Union |
| 25 November 1958 – 20 June 1960 | | | |
