The Governor of Gravesend and Tilbury Fort (or West Tilbury) was the military officer responsible for paired fortifications and blockhouses protecting the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

: on the south side of the river at

Gravesend, Kent Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Rochester, it is t ...

and on the north side at Tilbury Fort and

West Tilbury West Tilbury is a village and former civil parish on the top of and on the sides of a tall river terrace overlooking the River Thames. Part of the modern town of Tilbury (including part of Tilbury Fort) is within the traditional parish of West ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

. The fortifications here date from the time of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

; Tilbury Fort remained in military use until 1950, but the office of Governor was discontinued upon the death of

Sir Lowry Cole Hon. Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, (1 May 1772 – 4 October 1842) was an Anglo-Irish British Army general and politician. Early life Cole was the second son of an Irish peer, William Willoughby Cole, 1st Earl of Enniskillen (1 March 1736&ndas ...

in 1842.

Governors

*in 1651: Col. Crompton *1662–1669: Sir John Griffith *1669–1681:

Sir Francis Leke, 1st Baronet Sir Francis Leke, 1st Baronet (1627 – October 1679) was an English soldier, administrator and Member of Parliament. He was born the eldest son of William Leke of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire and his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir Guy P ...

(died 1679) *1681–1684:

Richard Tufton, 5th Earl of Thanet Richard Tufton, 5th Earl of Thanet (30 May 1640 or 1641 – 8 March 1684), styled The Honourable Richard Tufton until 1680, was an English nobleman. Tufton was the third son of John Tufton, 2nd Earl of Thanet and Lady Margaret, daughter of Richa ...

*1684–1689:

Sackville Tufton Colonel Sackville Tufton (11 June 1646 – 30 March 1721) was the son of John Tufton, 2nd Earl of Thanet and his second wife Margaret Sackville. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Wilbraham of Newbottle, Northumberland. They had twelve chil ...

*1690–1702: William Selwyn *1702–1725:

George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley, PC, FRS (1666 – 7 May 1733), styled The Honourable from birth until 1715 and then known as Lord Newborough to 1725, was an English soldier. Cholmondeley was the second son of Robert Cholmondele ...

*1725–1736: William Tatton *1736–1737: Sir Multon Lambard *1737–1742:

James Tyrrell Sir James Tyrrell (c. 1455 – 6 May 1502) was an English knight, a trusted servant of king Richard III of England. He is known for allegedly confessing to the murders of the Princes in the Tower under Richard's orders. William Shakespeare por ...

*1742–1747: Adam Williamson *1747–1752: John West, 1st Baron De La Warr *1752–1776: Charles Cadogan, 2nd Baron Cadogan *1776–1796: William Fawcett *1796–1812:

Sir Thomas Musgrave, 7th Baronet General Sir Thomas Musgrave, 7th Baronet (1737 – 1812) was an English soldier. He rose to the rank of general in the British Army and was noted for his service during the American Revolutionary War. He is one of the Musgrave baronets. Famil ...

*1812–1818:

Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet General Sir John William Floyd, 1st Baronet (22 February 1748 – 10 January 1818), was a British cavalry officer. Family and early life Born on 22 February 1748, he was the oldest child of Captain John Floyd and Mary Floyd (née Bate). Career H ...

*1818–1842:

Lieutenant-Governors

*1702–1715: John Boteler *c.1727: Sir Multon Lambard *1758–1778: Sir Charles Whitworth *1778–1824: Hon. James de Courcy *1824–1827: James Hawker *Oct–Dec 1827: William Guard *1827–1832: Paul Anderson *1832–1848: Peter Dumas

References

{{Governors and Constables in England and Wales History of Essex History of Kent History of Gravesend, Kent Gravesend and Tilbury