Crown colony

Coat of arms of KingJames I.In 1624, the Crown revoked the royal charter earlier granted to the Virginia Company, and assumed direct government of the colony

ACrown colonyorroyal colonywas acolonygoverned byEngland,and thenGreat Britainor theUnited Kingdomwithin the English and laterBritish Empire.There was usually agovernorto represent the Crown, appointed by theBritish monarchon the advice of theUK Government,with or without the assistance of a local council. In some cases, this council was split into two: an executive council and alegislative council,and the executive council was similar to thePrivy Councilthat advises the monarch. Members of executive councils were appointed by the governors, and British citizens resident in Crown colonies either had no representation in local government, or limited representation in alower house.In several Crown colonies, this limited representation grew over time. As theHouse of Commonsof theBritish Parliamenthas never included seats for any of the colonies, there was no direct representation in the sovereign government for British subjects or citizens residing in Crown colonies.

The administration of Crown colonies changed over time and in the 1800s some became, with a loosening of the power of royal governors,self-governing colonies,within which thesovereign state(the UK Government) delegated legislation for most local internal matters of governance to elected assemblies, with consent of the governor. Elected lower houses had their beginnings in theHouse of Burgessesof theColony of Virginiain 1619 and theHouse of Assemblyof theParliament of Bermudain 1620. While initially limited in government even with an elected lower house, over the centuries in some Crown colonies, more independent authority was given.

All remaining British colonies, whether Crown (such as theFalkland Islands) or self-governing (such asBermuda), were renamed "British Dependent Territories"from 1 January 1983 under theBritish Nationality Act 1981.Many British citizens in the colonies (with the exceptions of theFalkland Islandersand subsequently theGibraltarians) found that their "Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies"had changed overnight toBritish Dependent Territories Citizenship,a form of British citizenship that stripped them of some of their rights, including the right to reside and work in the United Kingdom.From 2002, the dependent territories have been known officially asBritish Overseas Territories.

History

Early English colonies were oftenproprietary colonies,usually established and administered bycompaniesunder charters granted by the monarch. The first "royal colony" was theColony of Virginia,after 1624, when the Crown of theKingdom of Englandrevoked theroyal charterit had granted to theVirginia Companyand assumed control of the administration.

Executive crown governors are sometimes complemented by a locally appointed and/or electedlegislaturewith limited powers – that is, such territories lackresponsible government.For example, while theHouse of Assembly of Bermudahas existed continuously since its first session in 1620, Bermuda has only had responsible government since 1968. (Bermuda became a Crown colony in 1684, when the government revoked a royal charter given to theSomers Isles Company,successor to theVirginia Company,which had previously controlled administration, including the appointment of governors. Afterwards the British government appointed theGovernor of Bermuda.)

Despite its later usage, the term "Crown colony" was used primarily, until the mid-19th century, to refer to colonies that had been acquired through wars, such asTrinidad and Tobago.After that time it was more broadly applied to everyBritish territoryother thanBritish India,and self-governing colonies, such as theProvince of Canada,Newfoundland,British Columbia,New South Wales,Queensland,South Australia,Tasmania,Victoria,Western Australia,andNew Zealand.

By the mid-19th century, the monarch was appointing colonial governors only on the advice of theSecretary of State for the Colonies.

Reclassification (1981)

Further information:British Overseas Territories citizen

The term Crown colony continued to be used until 1981, when theBritish Nationality Act 1981reclassified the remaining British colonies as "British Dependent Territories". By this time, the term "Crown colony" referred specifically to colonies lacking substantial autonomy, which were administered by an executive governor, appointed by the British Government – such asHong Kong,before its transfer in 1997 to thePeople's Republic of China.In 2002, theBritish Overseas Territories Act 2002further changed their name toBritish Overseas Territories.

Types

There werethreetypes of Crown colony as of 1918, with differing degrees of autonomy:

Crown colonieswith representative councils,such asBermuda,Jamaica,CeylonandFiji,contained two legislative chambers, consisting of Crown-appointed and locally elected members.

Crown colonieswith nominated councils,such asBritish Honduras,Sierra Leone,British Windward IslandsandHong Kong,were staffed entirely by Crown-appointed members, with some appointed representation from the local population. Hong Kong had a representative council following the introduction of election for theHong Kong Legislative Councilin 1995.

Crown coloniesruled directly by a governor,such asBasutoland,Gibraltar,Saint HelenaandSingapore,were fewest in number and had the least autonomy.

List

The "from" column lists the year the colony began to be administered by the Crown. These colonies may have existed under a different type of English colonial administration before then.

Crown colonies

Name of colony	from	to	Reason for change of status
Aden	1937	1967	Became part of theFederation of South Arabia.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia	1960	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Anguilla	1980	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Antigua	1663	1967	Became anassociated state.
Ashanti	1902	1957	Became part of the dominion namedGhanaupon its establishment in 1957.
Bahamas	1718	1973	Became an independentCommonwealth realm.
Barbados	1663	1966	Became an independentCommonwealth realm.
Basutoland	1884	1966	Became independent asLesothoin 1966.
Bermuda	1684	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
British Antarctic Territory	1962	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
British Bechuanaland	1885	1895	Became part ofBritish Cape Colonyin 1895.
British Columbia	1866	1871	Became part ofCanadain 1871.
British Guiana	1831	1966	Became independent asGuyanain 1966.
British Honduras(renamed Belize in 1973)	1884	1981	Became independent (asBelize) in 1981.
British Indian Ocean Territory	1965	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Burma	1937	1948	Separated from British India in 1937 and became a Crown colony. Became independent in 1948 asBurma (later Myanmar).
United Province of Canada	1841	1867	Became part ofCanadain 1867.
Cape Colony	1806	1910	Became part of theUnion of South Africain 1910.
Cayman Islands	1962	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Ceylon	1815	1948	Became independent in 1948 asDominion of Ceylon(laterSri Lanka).
Christmas Island	1958	1958	Became a territory ofAustralia
Cyprus	1914	1960	Became independent asCyprusin 1960.
Dominica	1763	1967	Became anassociated state.
East Florida	1763	1783	Ceded to Spain. Later became part of the United States.
Falkland Islands	1841	1982	Became aBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Fiji	1874	1970	Became independent asFijiin 1970
Gambia Colony	1888	1965	Became independent asThe Gambiain 1965.
Georgia	1755	1776	Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Gibraltar	1713	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Gilbert and Ellice Islands	1916	1976	SeparateKiribatiandTuvalucolonies
Kiribati	1976	1979	Became independent in 1979.
Gold Coast	1821	1957	Became independent in 1957 withAshantiandNorthern Territories of the Gold CoastasGhana.
Grenada	1763	1967	Became anassociated state.
Heligoland	1814	1890	Ceded to theGerman Empire.
Hong Kong	1843	1982	Imperial Japan military occupied 1941–1945. Reclassified as a British Dependent Territory in 1983. Transferred to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
Jamaica	1655	1962	Became independent in 1962 asJamaica.
Kenya	1920	1963	United with the Kenya Protectorate in 1963 to form the independent country ofKenya.
Labuan	1846	1890	Administered byBritish North Borneo Companyfrom 1890 to 1904.
Lagos	1862	1906	Became part ofColony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeriain 1906.
Lower Canada	1791	1841	Became part ofProvince of Canadain 1841.
Malacca	1946	1957	Became part ofMalayain 1957.
Malta	1813	1964	Became independent in 1964 as theState of Malta.
Maryland	1689	1715	Reverted to proprietary rule in 1715, and later became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Massachusetts Bay	1691	1776	Became part of theUnited Statesof America in 1776.
Mauritius	1810	1968	Became independent asMauritiusin 1968.
Montserrat	1636	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Natal	1843	1910	Became part of theUnion of South Africain 1910.
Newfoundland	1825	1907	Became theDominion of Newfoundlandin 1907, and later joinedCanadain 1949.
New Hampshire	1692	1776	Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
New Ireland	1779	1783	Ceded to the United States of America after Revolutionary War and again after War of 1812 (1814-1815).
New Jersey	1702	1776	Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
New South Wales	1788	1901	Became part of theCommonwealth of Australiain 1901.
New York	1685	1776	Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
New Zealand	1841	1907	Became theDominion of New Zealandin 1907.
Nigeria	1914	1960	Became independent asNigeriain 1960.
Norfolk Island	1788	1914	Placed under administration ofAustraliain 1914 as a non-self governing territory. The island was self-governing between 1979 and 2015.
North Borneo	1946	1963	Became part ofMalaysiain 1963 asSabah.Labuanseparated from Sabah in 1984 to become aFederal Territory.
North Carolina	1729	1776	Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Nova Scotia	1710	1867	Became part ofCanadain 1867.
Orange River Colony	1900	1910	Became part of theUnion of South Africain 1910.
Pitcairn Islands	1887	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Penang	1946	1957	Became part ofMalayain 1957.
Quebec	1763	1791	Divided betweenUpperandLower Canadaand theNorthwest Territory.
Queensland	1859	1901	Became part of theCommonwealth of Australiain 1901.
Saint Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla	1882	1967	Became anassociated state.
Saint Helena	1659	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Saint Lucia	1814	1967	Became anassociated state.
Saint Vincent	1776	1969	Became anassociated state.
Sarawak	1946	1963	Became part ofMalaysiain 1963.
Seychelles	1903	1976	Separated fromBritish Mauritiusin 1903 and became a Crown Colony and became independent in 1976.
Sierra Leone	1808	1961	Became independent as Sierra Leone in 1961.
Singapore	1946	1963	Became anautonomous statewithinMalaysiain 1963 andfully independentin 1965.
South Australia	1834	1901	Became part of theCommonwealth of Australiain 1901.
South Carolina	1729	1776	Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Southern Nigeria	1906	1914	Part of the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. Merged withNorthern Nigeria Protectorateas theColony and Protectorate of Nigeriain 1914.
Southern Rhodesia	1923	1965/1980	Unilateral Declaration of Independencein 1965 asRhodesia;formally reverted to colonial status in 1979 asSouthern Rhodesia;independence granted in 1980 asZimbabwe
Straits Settlements	1867	1946	Imperial Japan military occupied 1941–1945. Separated into the Crown colonies ofPenang,MalaccaandSingapore.
Tasmania	1825	1901	NamedVan Diemen's Landuntil 1856. Became part of theCommonwealth of Australiain 1901.
Transvaal Colony	1877	1910	Became part of theUnion of South Africain 1910.
Tobago	1877	1889	Became part ofTrinidad and Tobago
Trinidad	1802	1889	Became part ofTrinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago	1889	1962	Became independent in 1962
Turks and Caicos Islands	1962	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Tuvalu	1976	1978	Became independent in 1978. Formerly part of theGilbert and Solomon IslandsProtectorate
Upper Canada	1791	1841	Became part ofProvince of Canadain 1841.
Vancouver Island	1848	1866	Merged with theColony of British Columbiain 1866 which joined Canada.
Victoria	1851	1901	Became part of theCommonwealth of Australiain 1901.
Virgin Islands	1713	1982	BecameBritish Dependent Territoryin 1983.
Virginia	1624	1776	Became part of the United States of America in 1776.
Western Australia	1829	1901	Swan River Colonyfrom 1829 to 1832. Became part of theCommonwealth of Australiain 1901.
West Florida	1763	1783	Ceded to Spain. Later became part of the United States.

See also

• British Empire
• British overseas territories
• British protectorate
• Colonial Office
• Crown dependency
• Direct rule over Northern Ireland
• Legislative council
• Proprietary colony
• Self-governing colony

References

• Ehrlich, AS (1974).Human Organization, 33.2.Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2022.Retrieved13 May2019– via ProQuest.
• Ehrlich, Josef (1916).Economic protectionism, Vol.6.Clarendon press.Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2022.Retrieved13 May2019.
• Jenks, Edward (1918).The Government of the British Empire.Little, Brown, and Company.
• Jenks, Edward (1918).The Government of the British Empire.Little, Brown, and Company.
• Olson, James (1996).Historical Dictionary of the British Empire.Greenwood Publishing Group.ISBN0-313-29366-X.
• Porter, Andrew (1998).The Nineteenth Century, The Oxford History of the British Empire Volume III.Oxford University Press.ISBN0-19-924678-5.
• Wrong, Hume (1923)."The Old Representative System: The Change To Crown Colony Government".Government of the West Indies.England:Oxford University Press.p. 71.ISBN1-113-74149-X.Archivedfrom the original on 8 April 2022.Retrieved30 March2010.The phrase 'Crown Colony Government' is used with various meanings. In the broadest, and perhaps most correct, sense it is applied to all the colonies in which the Crown retains the real control of the executive (i.e. to all the West Indian colonies). By both official and common usage, however, it is often narrowed as to exclude colonies with elected Assemblies, though without a responsible executive.