List of rulers of the Pitcairn Islands

Pitcairn Islands

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Pitcairn Islands

Local Government Ordinance Governor Victoria Treadell Mayor Mike Warren Island Council Elections: 2004, 2007

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The Pitcairn Islands, a small group of islands in the eastern Pacific, are currently the last remaining British colony 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.

Colonial Governors

See separate articles:

• Governors of Fiji (1898-1970)
• British High Commissioners to New Zealand (1970-present)

Local Heads of Government

Leaders (1790-1829)

1. Fletcher Christian (23 January 1790-3 October 1793)

2. Edward Young (3 October 1793-25 December 1800)

3. John Adams (25 December 1800-5 March 1829)

(The death of John Adams led to a power vacuum. An important leader was Thursday October Christian, the first child born on the island. In the ensuing period, the islanders tried to relocate to Tahiti, until the arrival of Joshua Hill).

President (1832-1838)

1. Joshua Hill (October 1832-1838)

Magistrates (1838-1893)

1. Edward Quintal (1838-1839)

2. Arthur Quintal I (1840-1841)

3. Fletcher Christian II (1842)

4. Matthew McCoy (1843)

5. Thursday October Christian II (1844)

6. Arthur Quintal II (1845-1846)

7. Charles Christian II (1847)

8. George Adams (1848)

9. Simon Young (1849)

-- Arthur Quintal II (1850)

-- Thursday October Christian II (1851)

10. Abraham Blatchly Quintal (1852)

--- Matthew McCoy (1853)

--- Arthur Quintal II (1854)

--- George Martin Frederick Young (1855-3 May 1856)

(Office vacant 1856-1864, due to relocation to Norfolk Island)

--- Thursday October Christian II (1864)

11. Moses Young (1865-1866)

--- Thursday October Christian II (1867)

12. Robert Pitcairn Buffett (1868)

--- Moses Young (1869)

13. James Russell McCoy (1870-1872)

--- Thursday October Christian II (1873-1874*)

--- Moses Young (1875)

--- Thursday October Christian II (1876-1877*)

--- James Russell McCoy (1878-1879)

--- Thursday October Christian II (1880)

--- Moses Young (1881)

--- Thursday October Christian II (1882)

--- James Russell McCoy (1883)

14. Benjamin Stanley Young (1884-1885)

--- James Russell McCoy (1886-1889)

15. Charles Carleton Vieder Young (1890-1891)

--- Benjamin Stanley Young (1892)

Presidents of the Council (1893-1904)

1. James Russell McCoy (1893-1896)

2. William Alfred Young (1897)

-- James Russell McCoy (1897-1904)

-- William Alfred Young (1904)

Magistrates (1904-1999)

--- James Russell McCoy (1904-1906)

16. Arthur Herbert Young (1907)

--- William Alfred Young (1908)

17. Matthew Edmond McCoy (1909)

18. Gerard Bromley Robert Christian (1910-1919)

19. Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1920)

20. Frederick Martin Christian (1921)

--- Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1922)

21. Edgar Allen Christian (1923-1924)

--- Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1925)

--- Edgar Allen Christian (1926-1929)

--- Arthur Herbert Young (1930-1931)

--- Edgar Allen Christian (1932)

--- Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1933-1934)

--- Edgar Allen Christian (1935-1939)

22. Andrew Clarence David Young (1940)

--- Frederick Martin Christian (1941)

--- Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1942)

--- Frederick Martin Christian (1943)

--- Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1944)

23. Norris Henry Young (1945-1948)

--- Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1949)

24. Warren Clive Christian (1950-1951)

25. John Lorenzo Christian (1952-1954)

--- Charles Richard Parkin Christian (1955-1957)

--- Warren Clive Christian (1958-1960)

--- John Lorenzo Christian (1961-1966)

26. Pervis Ferris Young (1967-December 1975)

27. Ivan Christian (December 1975-December 1984)

28. Brian Young (December 1984-January 1, 1991)

29. Jay Warren (January 1, 1991-December 7, 1999)

Mayors (since 1999)

1. Steve Christian (7 December 1999-30 October 2004) (Dismissed from office by the British colonial authorities following his four rape convictions).

2. Brenda Christian (8 November 2004-15 December 2004) (Acting)

3. Jay Warren (15 December 2004-9 December 2007)

4. Mike Warren (9 December 2007-Present)

See also

• Governor of the Pitcairn Islands
• History of the Pitcairn Islands