In the 13th Century the Constable of Portchester Castle was also Governor of the towns of “Portshetre, Portesmouthe and of the Country about” and so continued until early in the reign of Henry VIII: subsequently Portsmouth had its own Captain or Governor. The Governorship was abolished in 1834 after which the post was recognised as the Garrison Commander. The post was abolished in 1968.
The records, shown below, were transcribed from “Extracts from the Portsmouth Records” by Robert East, published in 1891. Subsequent entries to 1968 were compiled from a variety of sources. This is not a complete record; research is continuing and the results are shown in a postscript below the list.
| Dates | Name | Post |
| 1290 | Henry Husse | Constable of the King’s Castle at Portchester and Town of Portsmouth |
| 1316 | Eustace de Haeche | |
| 1327 | John de Basing | |
| 1328 | Richard Earl of Arundel | |
| 1338 | John Hacket | |
| 1347 | Eustace de Hocke | |
| 1361 | John de Edyndon | |
| 1369 | Richard Earl of Arundel | |
| 1441 | Sir John Cherowin | |
| 1461 | John Earl of Worcester | |
| 1468 | William Ferrys de Say | |
| 1473 | Anthony Widvile | |
| 1483 | Sir William Uvedale | |
| 1483-4 | William Mirfield | |
| 1509 | William Coope | |
| 1514 | Sir Thomas Wyndham | Deputy Lieut.-Governor |
| 1544 | Sir Anthony Knyset | Governor |
| 1545 | Sir William Pawlet | Governor |
| 1545 | John Chadderton | Captain of Portsmouth |
| 1551-2 | Richard Wingfield (Lord Powerscourt) | Governor |
| 1558 | Edward Tumour | |
| 1558 | Lord Edward Paulet | |
| 1559-71 | Sir Adrian Poynings | |
| 1571-93 | Sir Henry Radclyfe | |
| 1593-4 | Sir Charles Blount (Lord Mountjoy) | |
| Sir Benjamin Berry | Lieut-Governor | |
| 1606-8 | Sir Francis Vere | Governor |
| 1609-30 | William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke | |
| 1615 | Sir John Burface | Lieut-Governor |
| 1620-24 | Sir John Oglander | |
| 1624 | Sir Richard Morrison | |
| 1630-38 | Sir Edward Cecil, Viscount Wimbledon | Governor |
| Sir Brett | Lieut-Governor | |
| 1639-42 | George Goring | Governor |
| 1640-1 | Robert Willis | Lieut-Governor |
| 1643 | Sir William Lewis | Governor |
| 1644 | Colonel William Jephsort | |
| 1645 | Colonel Richard Norton | |
| 1648 | Robert Legg | |
| 1648 | George Goring | |
| 1649 | Colonel Desborough | |
| 1649-59 | Colonel Nathaniel Whetham | |
| 1656 | Major Peter Murford | Lieut-Governor |
| 1660-1 | Colonel Richard Norton | Governor |
| 1661-73 | HRH James, Duke of York | |
| 1662 | Sir William Berkley | Lieut-Governor |
| 1665 | Sir Phillip Honeywood | |
| 1672 | George Legge | |
| 1673 | Henry Slingsby | |
| 1678 | Hon. Sir George Legge | Governor |
| 1682-87 | Lord Noel | |
| 1688 | James Fitzjames | |
| 1689 | Colonel Rearsby | Lieut-Governor |
| 1689 | Colonel John Gibson | |
| 1696-1712 | Major-General Thomas Erie | Governor |
| 1697 | Hon. Robert Fregue | Lieut-Governor |
| 1701 | Colonel John Gibson | |
| 1712 | William, Lord North and Grey | Governor |
| 1714 | Lieut-General Thomas Erie | |
| 1717 | Hon. Colonel Peter Hawker | Lieut-Governor |
| 1719 | Hon. General Charles Wills | Governor |
| 1720 | Hon. George Macartney | |
| 1730-37 | John, Duke of Argyle and Greenwich | |
| 1731 | General Hon. Peter Campbell | Lieut-Governor |
| 1737-40 | Viscount Shannon | Governor |
| 1740-52 | Lieut-General Philip Honeywood KB | |
| 1751 | John Leighton | Lieut-Governor |
| 1752-59 | Lieut-General William Hawley | Governor |
| 1752 | Captain John Murray | Lieut-Governor |
| 1773-78 | Lieut-General Hon. Edward Harvey | Governor |
| 1776 | Colonel Robert Watson | Lieut-Governor |
| 1778-82 | Lieut-General Hon. Robert Monckton | Governor |
| 1783 | Lieut-General Smith | |
| 1783 | Henry, Earl of Pembroke | |
| 1790 | Colonel Thomas Trigge | Lieut-Governor |
| 1796 | Major-General Cornelius Cuyler | |
| 1799 | General Sir William Pitt KB | Governor |
| 1801 | Major-General John Whitelocke | Lieut-Governor |
| 1805 | Colonel Hidebrand Oakes | |
| 1805 | Major-General Hon. John Hope | |
| 1806 | Major-General Sir George Prevost | |
| 1809 | Major-General Arthur Whetham | |
| 1810 | General The Hon. J. E. Fox | Governor |
| 1811-27 | Field-Marshall, Earl Harcourt GCB | |
| 1813 | Lieut-General Arthur Whetham | Lieut-Governor |
| 1814 | Lieut-General W. Houston | |
| 1814 | Major-General Kenneth Alexander | |
| 1814 | Major-General W. Houston | |
| 1818 | Lord Howard of Effingham KGB | |
| 1820 | Major-General Sir George Corke KCB | |
| 1823-8 | Major-General Sir James Lyons KCB | |
| 1827 | General Sir W. Keppell KCB | Governor |
| 1828 | HRH William, Duke of Gloucester KG GCB | |
| 1828 | Major-General Sir Colin Campbell KCB | |
| 1834-8 | Major-General Sir Thomas McMahon KCB | Lieut-Governor |
| 1839 | Lieut-General Sir Hercules Pakenham KCB | |
| 1847-51 | Lieut-General Lord Frederick Fitzclarence GCB | |
| 1853 | Major-General James Simpson | |
| 1855 | Major-General Henry William Breton | |
| 1857 | Major-General Hon, Sir James York Scarlett GCB | |
| 1860 | Lord William Paulet KCB | |
| 1865 | Lieut-General Sir George Butler KCB | |
| 1870 | Lieut-General Viscount Templeton KCB | |
| 1874 | Lieut-General Sir Charles Hastings Doyle KCMG | |
| 1877 | General Sir John Garvock GCB | |
| 1878-84 | General HSH Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar KCB | |
| 1884-89 | General Sir George Willis KCB KCMG | |
| 1890-93 | HRH Arthur William Duke of Connaught KC KCB | |
| 1893-98 | General Sir John Davis | |
| 1898-1903 | General Sir Baker Russell | |
| 1903-05 | General R. A. Montgomery CV0 CB | Major-General Commanding Portsmouth Defences |
| 1903-08 | General Sir Henry Settle KCB DSO | |
| 1908-11 | Major-General J. K. Trotter CB CMG | Major-General Commanding Southern Coast Defences |
| 1911-16 | Major-General W. E. Blewett CB CMG | Major-General Commanding Portsmouth Garrison |
| 1916-18 | Major-General F. C. Heath Caldwell CB | |
| 1920 | Brid-General E. S. Girdwoomd CB CMG | |
| 1921-24 | Colonel-Commandant E. S. Girdwood CG CMG | Officer Commanding Portsmouth Garrison |
| 1924 | Colonel-Commandant C. A. Ker CMG CBE DSO | |
| 1926 | Colonel-Commandant Sir Hugh J. Elles KCMG CB DSO ADC | |
| 1927 | Colonel-Commandant J. T. Dreyer CB DSO RA | Garrison Commander |
| 1929 | Brigadier J. T. Dreyer CB DSO | |
| 1930 | Brigadier G. W. Howard CMG DSO | |
| 1931 | Brigadier L. 1. G. Morgan-Owen CMG CBE DSO | |
| 1933-35 | Brigadier W. Green DSO | |
| 1935-37 | Brigadier G. T. Raikes DSO | |
| 1937 | Brigadier B. L. Montgomery DSO | |
| 1938 | Brigadier W. Robb MC | |
| 1939 | Brigadier G. E. M. Whittuck MC | |
| 1940 | Brigadier C. St. Q. 0. Fullbrook-Leggett DSO MC | Garrison Commander |
| 1940 | Brigadier R. T. Hammick DSO | |
| 1940-41 | Brigadier J. F. Harter DSO MC | |
| 1941-42 | Brigadier A. H. Blest | |
| 1942 | Colonel M. Everett DSO | |
| 1942 | Colonel G. Dawes DSO MC | |
| 1945 | Colonel R. E. Pickering | |
| 1945 | Colonel J. A. Prescott | |
| 1946 | Colonel E. W. Goodman DSO MC | |
| 1946 | Lt-Col. B. D. Hamley MC TD | |
| 1947 | Brigadier J. M. S. Pasley CBE MVO | |
| 1948 | Brigadier H. C. W. Eastman DSO MVO | |
| 1948 | Brigadier R. Barrow CBE | |
| 1948-49 | Brigadier L. G. Holmes CBE | |
| 1949 | Colonel J. C. Friedberger DS0 | |
| 1951-54 | Colonel A. C. Todd OBE | |
| 1954-57 | Colonel A. W Edmeades MBE | |
| 1957-59 | Colonel L. a’B. Robinson OBE | |
| 1959-61 | Colonel G. H. Shorland | |
| 1961-64 | Colonel L J. Aspland OBE | Senior Army Officer |
| 1964-66 | Colonel R. D. Cheetham OBE | |
| 1966-68 | Brigadier P. H Henson OBE |
FURTHER INFORMATION
Colonel John Fielder – Extracts from the House of Commons Journal
Ordered, That it be referred to a Committee, to consider how the said Sums of Nine hundred Thirty-seven Pounds Seven Shillings and One Peny, and Two hundred Eleven Pounds Four Shillings, may be paid and satisfied to Colonel John Feilder: And that the same Committee do likewise consider of an Allowance to be made to Colonel Feilder, as Governor of Portsmouth…
[From: ‘House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 21 July 1649’, Journal of the House of Commons: volume 6: 1648-1651 (1802), pp. 266-267. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=25716].
Resolved, &c. That this House doth approve of the Sum of Twelve hundred Pounds to be allowed unto Colonel John Fielder, for his Service as Governor of Portsmouth, from January 1642, until January 1644.
[From: ‘House of Commons Journal Volume 6: 31 August 1649’, Journal of the House of Commons: volume 6: 1648-1651 (1802), pp. 288-289. URL: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=25744]
