List of colonial governors of Gabon
(Redirected from List of colonial heads of Gabon)
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1839 to 1844 | Louis Édouard Bouët, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | 1st Term |
| 1844 to 1845 | Louis Édouard Bouët-Willaumez, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1845 to 1848 | Jean-Baptiste Montagniés de la Roque, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1848 to 1848 | Auguste Baudin, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | 1st Term |
| 1848 to 1850 | Louis Édouard Bouët-Willaumez, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | 2nd Term |
| 1850 to 1851 | Charles Pénaud, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1851 to 1854 | Auguste Baudin, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | 2nd Term |
| Colony of Gorée and Dependencies | ||
| 1854 to March 1856 | Jérôme Félix Monléon, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| March 1856 to 1859 | Auguste Léopold Protet, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1859 to 1861 | Auguste Bosse, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | Naval Division centred at Gabon; Gorée incorporated into Senegal |
| 1861 to 1863 | Octave François Charles, baron Didelot, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1863 to 1866 | André Émile Léon Laffon de Ladébat, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1866 to 1868 | Alphonse Jean René, vicomte Fleuriot de Langle, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1868 to 1869 | Alexandre François Dauriac, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1869 to 1870 | Victor Auguste, baron Duperré, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1870 to 1872 | Siméon Bourgeois, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1872 to 1874 | Antoine Louis Le Couriault du Quilio, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1874 to 1875 | Charles Henri Jules Panon du Hazier, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1875 to 1877 | Amédée Louis Ribourt, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1877 to 1879 | François Hippolyte Allemand, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1879 to 1881 | Bernard Ernest Mottez, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1881 to 24 January 1883 | Richild, baron Grivel, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1884 to 1886 | Jules Marie Armand Cavelier de Cuverville, Commandant of the Naval Division of the Western Coasts of Africa | |
| 1886 | Incorporated into French Congo | |
See below for continuation 1886 to 17 August 1960
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| French Suzerainty | ||
| 1843 to 1844 | Antoine Devoisins, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1844 to 1844 | Joseph Marie Millet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1844 to 1846 | André Brisset, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | 1st Term |
| 1846 to 1846 | Méquet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1846 to 1846 | Clément Grosjean, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1846 to 1847 | Jean Carrilès, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1847 to 1848 | André Brisset, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | 2nd Term |
| 25 March 1848 to 1848 | Alphonse Alexandre Sourdeaux, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 3 August 1848 to 1848 | Eugène Jean Antoine Desperles, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| December 1848 to 1849 | Étienne Charles Deschanel, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 10 August 1849 to 1850 | Jean-Auguste Martin, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 15 December 1850 to 1853 | Alexis Édouard Vignon, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | 1st Term |
| 1853 to 1854 | Théophile Quillet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| Colony of Gorée and Dependencies | ||
| 1854 to 1857 | Théophile Quillet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1857 to 1859 | Alexis Édouard Vignon, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | 2nd Term |
| 1859 to 1860 | Pierre Alexandre Mailhetard, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 4 August 1860 to 1861 | César Charles Joseph Pradier, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1861 to 1863 | Paul Claude Nicolas Brue, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1863 to 1866 | Charles Ferdinand Eugène Baur, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1866 to 1867 | Joseph Henri Brunet-Millet, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1867 to 1868 | Théophile Aube, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1868 to 1869 | Frédéric Amable Bourgarel, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1869 to 1871 | Hippolyte Adrien Bourgin, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1871 to 1873 | Gustave Aristide Léopold Garraud, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1873 to 1875 | Charles Henri Jules Panon du Hazier, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1875 to 1876 | Félix Ambroise Clément, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1876 to 1879 | Paul-Michel-Frédéric Caudière, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1879 to 1880 | Augustin Ernest Dumont, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1880 to 1881 | Jules Émile Hanet-Cléry, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1881 to 1883 | Émile Masson, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1883 to 1885 | Jean Joseph Cornut-Gentille, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| 1885 to 1886 | Georges Émile Pradier, Commandant-Particular of Gabon | |
| Incorporated into French Congo | ||
| 29 June 1886 to 12 March 1889 | Noël Ballay, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 12 March 1889 to 1 June 1894 | Charles de Chavannes, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 1 June 1894 to 22 January 1899 | Albert Dolisie, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 1 May 1899 to 1902 | Émile Gentil, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 21 January 1904 to 19 April 1905 | Louis Auguste Bertrand Ormières, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 19 April 1905 to 5 August 1905 | Paul Cousturier, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 5 August 1905 to 27 April 1906 | Alfred Fourneau, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 27 April 1906 to 23 April 1907 | Charles Henri Adrien Noufflard, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 23 April 1907 to 26 April 1907 | Alfred Martineau, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 26 April 1907 to 20 January 1909 | Édouard Émile Léon Telle, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 20 January 1909 to 10 February 1909 | Frédéric Claude Weber, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 10 February 1909 to 9 November 1909 | Charles Amédée Rognon, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 9 November 1909 to 15 January 1910 | Léon Félix Richaud, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| Incorporated into French Equatorial Africa | ||
| 15 January 1910 to June 1911 | Léon Félix Richaud, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| June 1911 to 21 February 1912 | Georges Poulet, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 21 February 1912 to 18 April 1914 | Paul Pierre Adam, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 18 April 1914 to 1 June 1917 | Joseph Guyon, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 1 June 1917 to 12 June 1918 | Georges Thomann, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 12 June 1918 to 30 June 1919 | Maurice Pierre Lapalud, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 30 June 1919 to 13 April 1920 | Jean Henri Marchand, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 13 April 1920 to 29 May 1922 | Jean Henri Marchand, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 29 May 1922 to 15 June 1923 | Edmond Émilien Cadier, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 15 June 1923 to 29 July 1924 | Louis Nicolas Marie Cercus, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| 29 July 1924 to 19 June 1931 | Marie Joseph Jules Pierre Bernard, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 19 June 1931 to November 1931 | Louis Vingarassamy, acting Lieutenant Governor | |
| November 1931 to 26 September 1934 | Louis Bonvin, Lieutenant Governor | |
| 26 September 1934 to 24 October 1936 | Louis Bonvin, Administrator-Superior | |
| 24 October 1936 to 11 September 1937 | Louis Bonvin, Governor-Delegate | |
| 11 September 1937 to 29 August 1938 | Georges Parisot, Governor-Delegate | |
| 29 August 1938 to 2 November 1939 | Georges Pierre Masson, acting Governor-Delegate | |
| 2 November 1939 to 14 November 1940 | Georges Pierre Masson, Governor-Delegate | |
| 14 November 1940 to 15 March 1941 | André Parant, acting Governor-Delegate | |
| 26 March 1941 to 30 May 1942 | Victor Valentin Smith, Governor | |
| 30 May 1942 to 26 August 1943 | Charles André Maurice Assier de Pompignan, Governor | |
| 26 August 1943 to 19 November 1944 | Paul Vuillaume, Governor | |
| 19 November 1944 to 28 March 1946 | Numa Sadoul, acting Governor | 1st Term |
| 28 March 1946 to 31 December 1947 | Roland Pré, Governor | |
| 31 December 1947 to 6 April 1949 | Numa Sadoul, Governor | 2nd Term |
| 6 April 1949 to 4 January 1950 | Pierre François Pelieu, acting Governor | |
| 4 January 1950 to 19 October 1951 | Pierre François Pelieu, Governor | |
| 19 October 1951 to 25 April 1952 | Charles Hanin, acting Governor | |
| 25 April 1952 to 29 January 1958 | Yves Digo, Governor | |
| 29 January 1958 to 28 November 1958 | Louis Sanmarco, Governor | |
| autonomous Gabonese Republic | ||
| 28 November 1958 to July 1959 | Louis Sanmarco, High Commissioner | |
| July 1959 to 17 August 1960 | Jean Risterucci, High Commissioner | |
| 17 August 1960 | Independence as Republic of Gabon | |
For continuation after independence, see: Heads of State of Gabon