Crown colony
A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the monarch of the UK on the advice of the Home (UK) Government, with or without the assistance of a local Council. In some cases this Council was split into two: an Executive Council and a Legislative Council, and was similar to the Privy Council that 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 several Crown colonies, this limited representation grew over time. As the House of Commons of the British Parliament has 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 the Sovereign state (the UK Government) delegated legislation for most local internal matters of governance to elected assemblies, with consent of the governor. The elected assemblies had their beginning in the House of Burgesses of the colony of Virginia in 1619 and the House of Assembly of the Parliament of Bermuda in 1620. Over the centuries in some Crown colonies, more independent authority was given.
All British colonies, whether Crown (such as Hong Kong and the Falkland Islands) or self-governing (such as Bermuda), were renamed "British Dependent Territories" from 1 January 1983 under the British Nationality Act 1981. Many British citizens in the colonies (with the exceptions of the Falkland Islanders and subsequently the Gibraltarians) found that their "Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies" had changed overnight to British 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.[clarification needed] From 2002 the colonies have been known officially as British Overseas Territories.[1]
History[edit]
Early English colonies were usually established and administered by companies under charters granted by the monarch. The first "royal colony" was the Colony of Virginia, after 1624, when the Crown of the Kingdom of England revoked the royal charter it had granted to the Virginia Company and assumed control of the administration.[2]
Executive governors are sometimes complemented by a locally appointed and/or elected legislature with limited powers — that is, such territories lack responsible government. For example, while the House of Assembly of Bermuda has 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 the Somers Isles Company, successor to the Virginia Company, which had previously controlled administration, including the appointment of governors. Afterwards the British government appointed the Governor 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 as Trinidad and Tobago.[3] After that time it was more broadly applied to every British territory other than British India,[4] and self-governing colonies, such as the Province of Canada, Newfoundland, British Columbia, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and New Zealand.[5]
By the mid-19th century, the monarch was appointing colonial governors only on the advice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies.[6]
Reclassification (1981)[edit]
The term Crown colony continued to be used until 1981, when the British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified 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 as Hong Kong, before its transfer in 1997 to the People's Republic of China.[citation needed]
Types[edit]
There were three types of Crown colony as of 1918, with differing degrees of autonomy:
Crown colonies with representative councils, such as Bermuda, Jamaica, Ceylon and Fiji, contained two legislative chambers, consisting of Crown-appointed and locally elected members.
Crown colonies with nominated councils, such as British Honduras, Sierra Leone, British Windward Islands and Hong 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 the Hong Kong Legislative Council in 1995.
Crown colonies ruled directly by a governor, such as Basutoland,[7] Gibraltar, Saint Helena and Singapore, were fewest in number and had the least autonomy.
List[edit]
Name of colony | from | to | Reason for change of status |
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1937 | 1967 | Became part of the Federation of South Arabia. |
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1960 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1980 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1663 | 1981 | Became independent as Antigua and Barbuda. |
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1902 | 1957 | Became part of the dominion named Ghana upon its establishment in 1957. |
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1718 | 1973 | Became an independent Commonwealth realm. |
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1663 | 1966 | Became an independent Commonwealth realm. |
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1884 | 1966 | Became independent as Lesotho in 1966. |
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1684 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1962 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1885 | 1895 | Became part of British Cape Colony in 1895. |
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1866 | 1871 | Became part of Canada in 1871. |
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1831 | 1966 | Became independent as Guyana in 1966. |
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1884 | 1981 | Became independent (as Belize) in 1981. |
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1965 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1937 | 1948 | Separated from British India in 1937 and became a Crown colony. Became independent in 1948 as Burma (later Myanmar). |
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1841 | 1867 | Became part of Canada in 1867. |
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1806 | 1910 | Became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910. |
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1962 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1815 | 1948 | Became independent in 1948 as Dominion of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka). |
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1958 | 1958 | Became a territory of Australia |
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1914 | 1960 | Became independent as Cyprus in 1960. |
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1763 | 1978 | Became independent as the Commonwealth of Dominica in 1978. |
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1763 | 1783 | Ceded to Spain. Later became part of the United States. |
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1841 | 1982 | Became a British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1874 | 1970 | Became independent as Fiji in 1970 |
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1888 | 1965 | Became independent as The Gambia in 1965. |
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1755 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776. |
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1713 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1916 | 1976 | Separate Gilbert Islands and Tuvalu colonies |
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1976 | 1979 | Became independent as Kiribati |
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1821 | 1957 | Became independent in 1957 as Ghana. |
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1763 | 1974 | Became an independent Commonwealth realm. |
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1842 | 1982 | Reclassified as a British Dependent Territory in 1983. Transferred to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. |
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1655 | 1962 | Became independent in 1962 as Jamaica. |
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1920 | 1963 | United with the Kenya Protectorate in 1963 to form the independent country of Kenya. |
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1846 | 1890 | Administered by British North Borneo Company from 1890–1904. |
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1862 | 1906 | Became part of Southern Nigeria Protectorate in 1906. |
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1791 | 1841 | Became part of Province of Canada in 1841. |
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1946 | 1957 | Became part of Malaya in 1957. |
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1813 | 1964 | Became independent in 1964 as the State of Malta. |
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1692 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776 as the state of Massachusetts. |
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1903 | 1968 | Became independent as Mauritius in 1968. |
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1636 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1843 | 1910 | Became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910. |
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1825 | 1907 | Became the Dominion of Newfoundland in 1907, and later joined Canada in 1949. |
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1692 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776. |
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1779 | 1783 | Ceded to the United States of America after Revolutionary War and again after War of 1812 (1814-1815). |
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1702 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776. |
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1788 | 1901 | Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. |
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1691 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776. |
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1841 | 1907 | Became the Dominion of New Zealand in 1907. |
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1914 | 1960 | Became independent as Nigeria in 1960. |
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1788 | 1914 | Placed under administration of Australia in 1914 as a non-self governing territory. The island was self-governing between 1979 and 2015. |
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1946 | 1963 | Became part of Malaysia in 1963 as Sabah. Labuan separated from Sabah in 1984 to become a Federal Territory.[8] |
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1729 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776. |
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1710 | 1867 | Became part of Canada in 1867. |
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1887 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1946 | 1957 | Became part of Malaya in 1957. |
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1763 | 1791 | Divided between Upper and Lower Canada and the Northwest Territory. |
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1859 | 1901 | Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. |
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1980 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. Independent in the same year. |
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1882 | 1980 | Separated into Anguilla and Saint Christopher and Nevis. |
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1659 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1814 | 1979 | Became an independent Commonwealth realm. |
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1776 | 1979 | Became independent as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. |
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1946 | 1963 | Became part of Malaysia in 1963.[8] |
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1903 | 1976 | Separated from British Mauritius in 1903 and became a Crown Colony and became independent in 1976. |
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1808 | 1961 | Became independent as Sierra Leone in 1961. |
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1946 | 1963 | State of Singapore within Malaysia[8] |
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1834 | 1901 | Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. |
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1729 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776. |
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1923 | 1965/1980 | Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965 as Rhodesia; formally reverted to colonial status in 1979 as Rhodesia or Zimbabwe Rhodesia; independence granted in 1980 as Zimbabwe |
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1867 | 1946 | Separated into Crown Colony of Penang, Crown Colony of Malacca and Colony of Singapore.[9] |
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1825 | 1901 | Named Van Diemen's Land until 1856. Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. |
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1889 | 1962 | Became independent in 1962 |
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1962 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1976 | 1978 | Became an independent Commonwealth realm. |
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1791 | 1841 | Became part of Province of Canada in 1841. |
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1848 | 1866 | Merged with the Colony of British Columbia in 1866 which joined Canada. |
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1851 | 1901 | Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. |
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1713 | 1982 | Became British Dependent Territory in 1983. |
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1624 | 1776 | Became part of the United States of America in 1776. |
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1829 | 1901 | Swan River Colony from 1829 to 1832. Became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. |
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1763 | 1783 | Ceded to Spain. Later became part of the United States. |
See also[edit]
- Direct rule
- Crown dependency
- Self-governing colony
- Colonial Office
- British overseas territories
- British Empire
- Legislative council
- Proprietary colony
Notes[edit]
- ^ "British Overseas Territories Act 2002". Gov.Uk.
- ^ Porter, p. 477.
- ^ History of Parliament: Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago – Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.
- ^ Mark Doyle (2018), The British Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes], ABC-CLIO, pp. 82–, ISBN 978-1-4408-4198-9
- ^ Olson, p. 343.
- ^ Jenks, p. 70.
- ^ Jenks, pp. 71–4.
- ^ a b c See: Malaysia Act 1963
- ^ "The Straits Settlements is dissolved". Retrieved 29 August 2015.
References[edit]
- Ehrlich, AS (1974). Human Organization, 33.2 – via ProQuest.
- Ehrlich, Josef (1916). Economic protectionism, Vol.6. Clarendon press.
- 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. ISBN 0-313-29366-X.
- Porter, Andrew (1998). The Nineteenth Century, The Oxford History of the British Empire Volume III. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-924678-5.
- Wrong, Hume (1923). "The Old Representative System: The Change To Crown Colony Government". Government of the West Indies. England: Oxford University Press. p. 71. ISBN 1-113-74149-X. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
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.