This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized between the factors of the Masulipatnam (now Machilipatnam) factory (trading post), represented by Francis Day, and the Raja of Chandragiri. In 1640, Andrew Cogan, the chief of the Masulipatnam factory, made his way to Madras in the company of Francis Day and the English and Indian employees of the Masulipatnam factory. The Agency of Madras was established on 1 March 1640 and Cogan was made the first Agent. The official title was 'Governor of Fort St George' and the Governor was usually referred to as Agent. Cogan served in the post for three years and was succeeded by Francis Day. After four agents had served their terms, Madras was upgraded to a Presidency during the time of Aaron Baker. However financial considerations forced the company to revert to an agency soon after Aaron Baker had served his term. The Agency survived until 1684 when Madras was made a Presidency once and for all. Streynsham Master is the best remembered and most renowned of the Agents of Madras.
| Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agents | ||||||
| 1 | Andrew Cogan | 1 March 1640 | 1643 |
| ||
| 2 | Francis Day (1605–1673) | 1643 | 1644 | |||
| 3 | Thomas Ivie (1605–1673) | 1644 | 1648 |
| ||
| 4 | Thomas Greenhill (1611–1658) | 1648 | 1652 | |||
| 5 | Aaron Baker (1610–1683) | 1652 | 1655 | |||
| 6 | Thomas Greenhill (1611–1658) | 1655 | 1658 | |||
| 7 | Sir Thomas Chambers (d. 1692) | 1658 | 1661 | |||
| 8 | Sir Edward Winter (1622–1686) | 1661 | Aug 1665 | |||
| 9 | George Foxcroft (1634–1715) | Aug 1665 | 16 Sep 1665 | |||
| 10 | Sir Edward Winter (1622–1686) | 16 Sep 1665 | 22 Aug 1668 | |||
| 11 | George Foxcroft (1634–1715) | 22 Aug 1668 | Jan 1670 |
| ||
| 12 | Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet (1631–1715) | Jan 1670 | 27 Jan 1678 | |||
| 13 | Streynsham Master (1640–1724) | 27 Jan 1678 | 3 Jul 1681 |
| ||
| 14 | William Gyfford | 3 Jul 1681 | 8 Aug 1684 | |||
Madras was elevated to a presidency in 1684 and remained so until 12 February 1785 when new rules and regulations brought by the Pitt's India Act reformed the administration of the East India Company with the exception of a three-year period of French rule from 1746 to 1749 when Madras was a governorship.
Subsequently, Elihu Yale who took charge on 8 August 1684 was the First President of Madras. Elihu Yale, Thomas Pitt and George Macartney are some of the well-known Presidents of Madras.
| Name | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elihu Yale (First term) (acting) | 8 August 1684 | 26 January 1685 | |
| William Gyfford | 26 January 1685 | 25 July 1687 | |
| Elihu Yale (Second term) | 25 July 1687 | 3 October 1692 | |
| Nathaniel Higginson | 3 October 1692 | 7 July 1698 | |
| Thomas Pitt | 7 July 1698 | 18 September 1709 | |
| Gulston Addison | 18 September 1709 | 17 October 1709 | |
| Edmund Montague (acting) | 17 October 1709 | 14 November 1709 | |
| William Fraser | 14 November 1709 (acting) | 11 July 1711 | |
| Edward Harrison | 11 July 1711 | 8 January 1717 | |
| Joseph Collett | 8 January 1717 | 18 January 1720 | |
| Francis Hastings (acting) | 18 January 1720 | 15 October 1721 | |
| Nathaniel Elwick | 15 October 1721 | 15 January 1725 | |
| James Macrae | 15 January 1725 | 14 May 1730 | |
| George Morton Pitt | 14 May 1730 | 23 January 1735 | |
| Richard Benyon (governor) | 23 January 1735 | 14 January 1744 | |
| Nicholas Morse | 14 January 1744 | 10 September 1746 |
In 1746, Dupleix's deputy, La Bordannais laid siege to Madras and captured the city. For the next three years, Madras remained under French Governors, until 1749, when Madras was handed to the British as per the Treaty of Aix-la-Chappele. The illustrious Mahe de la Bordannais served as acting Governor for a few months until the appointment of Governor Jean-Jacques Duval d'Eprémesnil, who served until 1749 when Madras reverted to British rule.
| Name | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahé de La Bourdonnais (acting) | 10 September 1746 | 2 October 1746 | |
| Jean-Jacques Duval d'Eprémesnil | 2 October 1746 | August 1749 |
During the period between 1746 and 1749, when Madras was under French rule, the British ran a provisional government from Fort St. David, near modern-day Porto Novo. In 1752, when Madras had been returned to the British, the then President of Madras, John Saunders, shifted the seat of government from Fort David to Madras. The British gained a lot of territory during the mid-18th century, so that by the time the French military power was crushed at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1761, the territory under the Presidency of Madras had increased manyfold. In 1785, the Province of Madras was created and the President became the Governor of Madras.
| Name | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Hinde (in Fort David) | 10 September 1746 | 14 April 1747 | |
| Charles Floyer (in Fort David) | 14 April 1747 | 19 September 1750 | |
| Thomas Saunders (in Fort David up to 5 April 1752) | 19 September 1750 | 14 January 1755 | |
| George Pigot (1st time) | 14 January 1755 | 14 November 1763 | |
| Robert Palk | 14 November 1763 | 25 January 1767 | |
| Charles Bourchier | 25 January 1767 | 31 January 1770 | |
| Josias Du Pré | 31 January 1770 | 2 February 1773 | |
| Alexander Wynch | 2 February 1773 | 11 December 1775 | |
| George Pigot (2nd time) | 11 December 1775 | 23 August 1776 | |
| George Stratton | 23 August 1776 | 31 August 1777 | |
| John Whitehill (first time) (acting) | 31 August 1777 | 8 February 1778 | |
| Sir Thomas Rumbold | 8 February 1778 | 6 April 1780 | |
| John Whitehill (second time) (acting) | 6 April 1780 | 8 November 1780 | |
| Charles Smith (acting) | 8 November 1780 | 22 June 1781 | |
| George MaCartney | 22 June 1781 | 12 February 1785 |
| Name | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George MaCartney | 12 February 1785 | 14 June 1785 | |
| Alexander Davidson (acting) | 14 June 1785 | 6 April 1786 | |
| Sir Archibald Campbell | 6 April 1786 | 7 February 1789 | |
| John Holland (acting) | 7 February 1789 | 13 February 1790 | |
| Edward J.Holland (acting) | 13 February 1790 | 20 February 1790 | |
| William Medows | 20 February 1790 | 1 August 1792 | |
| Sir Charles Oakeley | 1 August 1792 | 7 September 1794 | |
| Baron Hobart | 7 September 1794 | 21 February 1798 | |
| George Harris (acting) | 21 February 1798 | 21 August 1798 | |
| The 2nd Baron Clive | 21 August 1798 | 30 August 1803 | |
| Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck | 30 August 1803 | 11 September 1807 | |
| William Petrie (acting) | 11 September 1807 | 24 February 1808 | |
| Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet | 24 February 1808 | 21 May 1813 | |
| John Abercromby (acting) | 21 May 1813 | 16 September 1814 | |
| Hugh Elliot | 16 September 1814 | 10 June 1820 | |
| Sir Thomas Munro | 10 June 1820 | 10 July 1827 | |
| Henry Sullivan Graeme (acting) | 10 July 1827 | 18 October 1827 | |
| Stephen Rumbold Lushington | 18 October 1827 | 25 October 1832 | |
| Sir Frederick Adam | 25 October 1832 | 4 March 1837 | |
| George Edward Russell (acting) | 4 March 1837 | 6 March 1837 | |
| The 13th Lord Elphinstone | 6 March 1837 | 24 September 1842 | |
| The 8th Marquess of Tweeddale | 24 September 1842 | 23 February 1848 | |
| Henry Dickinson (acting) | 23 February 1848 | 7 April 1848 | |
| Sir Henry Eldred Pottinger | 7 April 1848 | 24 April 1854 | |
| Daniel Eliott (acting) | 24 April 1854 | 28 April 1854 | |
| The 3rd Baron Harris | 28 April 1854 | 28 March 1859 | |
| Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan | 28 March 1859 | 8 June 1860 | |
| William Ambrose Morehead (1st time) (acting) | 8 June 1860 | 5 July 1860 | |
| Sir Henry George Ward | 5 July 1860 | 2 August 1860 | |
| William Ambrose Morehead (2nd time) (acting) | 4 August 1860 | 18 February 1861 | |
| Sir William Thomas Denison (1st time) | 18 February 1861 | 26 November 1863 | |
| Edward Maltby (acting) | 26 November 1863 | 18 January 1864 | |
| Sir William Thomas Denison (2nd time) | 18 January 1864 | 27 March 1866 | |
| Francis Napier | 27 March 1866 | 19 February 1872 | |
| Alexander John Arbuthnot (acting) | 19 February 1872 | 15 May 1872 | |
| Lord Hobart | 15 May 1872 | 29 April 1875 | |
| William Rose Robinson (acting) | 29 April 1875 | 23 November 1875 | |
| The 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos | 23 November 1875 | 20 December 1880 | |
| William Patrick Adam | 20 December 1880 | 24 May 1881 | |
| William Huddleston (acting) | 24 May 1881 | 5 November 1881 | |
| M.E. Grant Duff | 5 November 1881 | 8 December 1886 | |
| The 1st Baron Connemara | 8 December 1886 | 1 December 1890 | |
| John Henry Garstin | 1 December 1890 | 23 January 1891 | |
| The 3rd Baron Wenlock | 23 January 1891 | 18 March 1896 | |
| Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock | 18 March 1896 | 28 December 1900 | |
| The 2nd Baron Ampthill (1st time) | 28 December 1900 | 30 April 1904 | |
| James Thompson (acting) | 30 April 1904 | 13 December 1904 | |
| The 2nd Baron Ampthill (2nd time) | 13 December 1904 | 15 February 1906 | |
| Sir Gabriel Stokes (acting) | 15 February 1906 | 28 March 1906 | |
| Sir Arthur Lawley | 28 March 1906 | 3 November 1911 | |
| Sir Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael | 3 November 1911 | 30 March 1912 | |
| Sir Murray Hammick (acting) | 30 March 1912 | 30 October 1912 | |
| The 1st Baron Pentland | 30 October 1912 | 29 March 1919 | |
| 29 March 1919 | 10 April 1919 | ||
| The 1st Baron Willingdon | 10 April 1919 | 12 April 1924 | |
| Sir Charles George Todhunter (acting) | 12 April 1924 | 14 April 1924 | |
| The 2nd Viscount Goschen | 14 April 1924 | 29 June 1929 | |
| Sir Norman Edward Majoribanks (acting) | 29 June 1929 | 11 November 1929 | |
| Sir George Frederick Stanley (1st time) | 11 November 1929 | 16 May 1934 | |
| Sir Muhammad Usman Sahib Bahadur (acting) | 16 May 1934 | 16 August 1934 | |
| Sir George Frederick Stanley (2nd time) | 16 August 1934 | 15 November 1934 | |
| Lord Erskine (1st time) | 15 November 1934 | 18 June 1936 | |
| Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu (acting) | 18 June 1936 | 1 October 1936 | |
| Lord Erskine (2nd time) | 1 October 1936 | 12 March 1940 | |
| Arthur Oswald James Hope | 12 March 1940 | 26 February 1946 | |
| Sir Henry Foley Knight (acting) | 26 February 1946 | 5 May 1946 | |
| Sir Archibald Edward Nye | 5 May 1946 | 15 August 1947 |