List of rulers of the Pitcairn Islands
Mayor of Pitcairn | |
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since 1 January 2023 | |
Style | Mayor (Domestically) |
Member of | Island Council |
Seat | Adamstown |
Appointer | Governor of Pitcairn (de jure) Popular vote (de facto) |
Term length | 3 years; renewable |
Formation | 7 December 1999 (current office of the Mayor) |
First holder | Fletcher Christian (as Leader) Steve Christian (as Mayor) |
Deputy | Deputy Mayor |
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The Pitcairn Islands, a group of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, are the last remaining British Overseas Territory in Oceania. Settled by mutineers from the Bounty in 1790, the island was effectively sovereign until 1898, when it was annexed by the United Kingdom and placed under the jurisdiction of the governor of Fiji. When Fiji became independent in 1970, Pitcairn Island was placed under the authority of the British high commissioner (ambassador) to New Zealand. In practice, partly due to its isolation, Pitcairn has effectively had internal self-government throughout this period. From 1790 to 1829, the local head of government was known simply as the leader. They had a president from 1832 to 1838, and a magistrate from that time until 1999, except for an eleven-year gap from 1893 to 1904, when the chief official was the president of the Council. In 1999, the magistrate's non-judicial functions were transferred to the new office of mayor.
Local heads of government (1790–present)
[edit]![]() ![]() | ||||||||
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No. | Name (Birth–Death) |
Title | Portrait | Tenure | Notes | Governor of Pitcairn | Monarch | |
From | Until | |||||||
1 | Fletcher Christian (1764–1793) |
Leader | ![]() |
23 January 1790 | 3 October 1793 | N/A | N/A | |
2 | Edward "Ned" Young (1762–1800) |
Leader | ![]() |
3 October 1793 | 25 December 1800 | |||
3 | John "Jack" Adams (1767–1829) |
Leader | ![]() |
25 December 1800 | 5 March 1829 | |||
– | Vacant[a] | 5 March 1829 | October 1832 | |||||
4 | Joshua Hill (1773–1844?) |
President | ![]() |
October 1832 | 1838 | |||
5 | Edward Quintal (1800–1841) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1838 | 1839 | ![]() Victoria | ||
6 | Arthur Quintal I (1795–1872) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1840 | 1841 | |||
7 | Fletcher Christian II (1812–1852) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1842 | 1842 | |||
8 | Matthew McCoy (1819–1853) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1843 | 1843 | 1st term | ||
9 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1844 | 1844 | 1st term | ||
10 | Arthur Quintal II (1816–1902) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1845 | 1846 | 1st term | ||
11 | Charles Christian II (1818–1886) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1847 | 1847 | |||
12 | George Adams (1804–1873) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1848 | 1848 | |||
13 | Simon Young (1823–1893) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1849 | 1849 | |||
14 | Arthur Quintal II (1816–1902) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1850 | 1850 | 2nd term | ||
15 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1851 | 1851 | 2nd term | ||
16 | Abraham Blatchly Quintal (?–?) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1852 | 1852 | |||
17 | Matthew McCoy (1819–1853) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1853 | 1853 | 2nd term | ||
18 | Arthur Quintal II (1816–1902) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1854 | 1854 | 3rd term | ||
19 | George Martin Frederick Young (?–?) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1855 | 3 May 1856 | |||
– | Vacant due to relocation to Norfolk Island | 1856 | 1864 | |||||
20 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1864 | 1864 | 3rd term | ||
21 | Moses Young (1829–1909) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1865 | 1866 | 1st term | ||
22 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1867 | 1867 | 4th term | ||
23 | Robert Pitcairn Buffett (?–?) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1868 | 1868 | |||
24 | Moses Young (1829–1909) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1869 | 1869 | 2nd term | ||
25 | James Russell McCoy (1845–1924) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1870 | 1872 | 1st term | ||
26 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1873 | 1874 | 5th term | ||
27 | Moses Young (1829–1909) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1875 | 1875 | 3rd term | ||
28 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1876 | 1877 | 6th term | ||
29 | James Russell McCoy (1845–1924) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1878 | 1879 | 2nd term | ||
30 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1880 | 1880 | 7th term | ||
31 | Moses Young (1829–1909) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1881 | 1881 | 4th term | ||
32 | Thursday October Christian II (1820–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1882 | 1882 | 8th term | ||
33 | James Russell McCoy (1845–1924) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1883 | 1883 | 3rd term | ||
34 | Benjamin Stanley Young (1851–1934) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1884 | 1885 | 1st term | ||
35 | James Russell McCoy (1845–1924) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1886 | 1889 | 4th term | ||
36 | Charles Carleton Vieder Young (?–?) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1890 | 1891 | |||
37 | Benjamin Stanley Young (1851–1934) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1892 | 1892 | 2nd term | ||
38 | James Russell McCoy (1845–1924) |
President of the Council | ![]() |
1893 | 1896 | 5th term | ||
39 | William Alfred Young (1863–1911) |
President of the Council | ![]() |
1897 | 1897 | 1st term | ||
40 | James Russell McCoy (1845–1924) |
President of the Council | ![]() |
1897 | 1903 | 6th term | ||
![]() Edward VII | ||||||||
41 | William Alfred Young (1863–1911) |
President of the Council | ![]() |
1904 | 1904 | 2nd term | ||
42 | James Russell McCoy (1845–1924) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1905 | 1906 | 7th term | ||
43 | Arthur Herbert Young (1873–1943) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1907 | 1907 | 1st term | ||
44 | William Alfred Young (1863–1911) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1908 | 1908 | 3rd term | ||
45 | Matthew Edmond McCoy (1868–1929) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1909 | 1909 | |||
46 | Gerard Bromley Robert Christian (1870–1919) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1910 | 1919 | |||
![]() George V | ||||||||
47 | Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1920 | 1920 | 1st term | ||
48 | Frederick Martin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1921 | 1921 | 1st term | ||
49 | Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1922 | 1922 | 2nd term | ||
50 | Edgar Allen Christian (1879–1960) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1923 | 1924 | 1st term | ||
51 | Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1925 | 1925 | 3rd term | ||
52 | Richard Edgar Christian (1882–1940) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1926 | 1929 | 1st term | ||
53 | Arthur Herbert Young (1873–1943) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1930 | 1931 | 2nd term | ||
54 | Edgar Allen Christian (1879–1960) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1932 | 1932 | 2nd term | ||
55 | Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1933 | 1934 | 4th term | ||
56 | Richard Edgar Christian (1882–1940) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1935 | 1938 | 2nd term | ||
![]() Edward VIII | ||||||||
![]() George VI | ||||||||
57 | Arthur Herbert Young (1873–1943) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1939 | 1939 | 3rd term | ||
58 | Richard Edgar Christian (1882–1940) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1940 | 1940 | 3rd term | ||
59 | Andrew Clarence David Young (?–?) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1940 | 1940 | |||
60 | Arthur Herbert Young (1873–1943) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1941 | 1941 | 4th term | ||
61 | Frederick Martin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1942 | 1943 | 2nd term | ||
62 | Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1944 | 1945 | 5th term | ||
63 | Norris Henry Young (1887–1974) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1945 | 1948 | |||
64 | Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1949 | 1949 | 6th term | ||
65 | Warren Clive Christian (1914–2003) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1950 | 1951 | 1st term | ||
66 | John Lorenzo Christian (1895–1984) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1952 | 1954 | 1st term | ||
![]() Elizabeth II | ||||||||
67 | Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1883–1971) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1955 | 1957 | 7th term | ||
68 | Warren Clive Christian (1914–2003) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1958 | 1959 | 2nd term | ||
69 | John Lorenzo Christian (1895–1984) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1959 | 1966 | 2nd term | ||
70 | Pervis Ferris Young (1928–2003) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1967 | December 1975 | |||
![]() Sir Arthur Norman Galsworthy | ||||||||
![]() Sir David Aubrey Scott | ||||||||
71 | Ivan Christian (1919–1991) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
December 1975 | December 1984 | ![]() Sir Harold Smedley | ||
![]() Richard Stratton | ||||||||
72 | Brian Young (born 1954) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
December 1984 | 1 January 1991 | ![]() Terence Daniel O'Leary | ||
![]() Robin Byatt | ||||||||
![]() David Moss | ||||||||
73 | Jay Warren (born 1956) |
Magistrate | ![]() |
1 January 1991 | 7 December 1999 | 1st term | ||
![]() Robert John Alston | ||||||||
![]() Martin Williams | ||||||||
74 | Steve Christian (born 1951) |
Mayor | ![]() |
7 December 1999 | 8 November 2004 | [b] | ||
![]() Richard Fell | ||||||||
75 | Brenda Christian (born 1953) |
Acting Mayor | ![]() |
8 November 2004 | 15 December 2004 | |||
76 | Jay Warren (born 1956) |
Mayor | ![]() |
1 January 2005 | 31 December 2007 | 2nd term | ||
![]() George Fergusson | ||||||||
77 | Mike Warren (born 1964) |
Mayor | ![]() |
1 January 2008 | 31 December 2013 | |||
![]() Mike Cherrett | ||||||||
![]() Victoria "Vicki" Treadell | ||||||||
78 | Shawn Christian (born 1975) |
Mayor | ![]() |
1 January 2014 | 31 December 2019 | |||
![]() Jonathan Sinclair | ||||||||
![]() Robin Shackell | ||||||||
![]() Laura Clarke | ||||||||
79 | Charlene Warren-Peu (born 1979) |
Mayor | 1 January 2020 | 31 December 2022 | ||||
![]() Iona Thomas | ||||||||
![]() Charles III | ||||||||
80 | Simon Young | Mayor | ![]() |
1 January 2023 | Incumbent | |||
Sources: Pitcairn Island Civil Recorder (1864–1964)[2] |
- ^ The death of John Adams led to a constitutional crisis. An important leader was Thursday October Christian, the first son of Fletcher Christian and the first child born on the island. In the ensuing period, the islanders tried to relocate to Tahiti, until the arrival of Joshua Hill.
- ^ Dismissed from office by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office following his four rape convictions.
Colonial governors (1898–present)
[edit]See separate articles:
- Governors of Fiji (1898–1970)
- British High Commissioners to New Zealand (1970–present)
See also
[edit]- List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies
- History of the Pitcairn Islands
References
[edit]- ^ "Minutes of the Regular council Meeting held at the Pulau school" (PDF). PITCAIRN ISLAND COUNCIL. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ Pitcairn Island Civil Recorder