From the 13th Century to the reign of Henry VIII the Governor of Portsmouth was the Constable of Portchester Castle. Since then Portsmouth had its own military Captain or Governor, who was based in the Square Tower built in Old Portsmouth in 1494 as part of the fortifications to protect the rapidly expanding naval port. The Coats of Arms of former Governors of Portsmouth are displayed on the walls of the Square Tower's Lower Hall. In 1540, the Hospital of St. Nicholas, suitably converted and modernised, became the military centre of the town. Its Domus Dei, now the roofless Royal Garrison Church, became the residence of the Captain or Governor.
The Governorship was abolished in 1834 and replaced by a Garrison Commander. That post was abolished in 1968.
The Round Tower, Porstmouth
Constables of the King's Castle at Portchester and Town of Portsmouth1289–1290: Henry Hussey
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
1376–1381: Sir Robert Ashton
1441: Sir John Cherowin
1451–1453: John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
1454: Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury
1461: John Tiptoft,1st Earl of Worcester
1468:William Fiennes de Saye
1473: Anthony Widvile
1483: Sir William Uvedale
1483–1484: William Mirfield
1509: William Cope
1511: Stephen Cope
1513: Thomas Fitzalan
Governors of Portsmouth 1544–1545: Sir Anthony Knyset
1545: John Chadderton (Captain of Portsmouth)
1545: William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester
1551/2–1554: Richard Wingfield
1554–1559: Lord Chidiock Paulet (Captain)
1559–1571: Sir Adrian Poynings
1571–1593: Henry Radclyffe, 4th Earl of Sussex (Warden and Captain)
1593/4–1606: Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy
1606–1609: Sir Francis Vere [ 1]
1609–1630: William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke
1630–1638: Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon
1638/9–1642: George Goring, 1st Baron Goring
1643: Sir William Lewis
1644: William Jephson
1645: Richard Norton
1648: Robert Legg
1648: George Goring, 1st Baron Goring
1649: John Feilder
1649: John Desborough
1649–1659: Nathaniel Whetham
1660–1661: Richard Norton
1661–1673: Prince James, Duke of York
1673-1682: George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth
1682-1687: Edward Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough
1687-1689: James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick
1690-1694: Thomas Tollemache
1694-1712: Thomas Erle
1712-1714: William North, 6th Baron North and Grey
1714-1718: Thomas Erle
1718-1719: Charles Wills
1719-1730: George MacCartney
1730-1737: John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
1737-1740: Richard Boyle, 2nd Viscount Shannon
1740-1752: Philip Honywood [ 2]
1752-1759: Henry Hawley
1759-1773: James O'Hara, 2nd Baron Tyrawley
1773-1778: Edward Harvey [ 3]
1778-1782: Robert Monckton [ 4]
1782-1794: Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke [ 5]
1794-1810: Sir William Pitt
1810-1811: Hon. Henry Fox
1811-1826: William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt
1826-1827: Sir William Keppel [ 6]
1828: Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
1828: Major-General Sir Colin Campbell KCB (last Governor)
Lieutenant-Governors of Portsmouth 1514: Sir Thomas Wyndham
1558–1559?: Edward Turnour
1593/4?–1605: Sir Benjamin Berry
1615: Sir John Burlace
1620–1624: Sir John Oglander
1624: Sir Richard Morrison
1630?: Sir Thomas Brett
1640-1: Robert Willis
1656: Major Peter Murford
1662: Sir William Berkeley
1665: Sir Phillip Honywood
1672: George Legge
1673: Henry Slingsby
1689: Colonel Rearsby
1689: Colonel John Gibson
1697: Hon. Robert Fregue
1701: Colonel John Gibson
1717: Hon. Colonel Peter Hawker
1731: General Hon. Peter Campbell
1751: John Leighton
1752: Captain John Murray
1776: Colonel Robert Watson
1790: Colonel Thomas Trigge
1796: Cornelius Cuyler[ 7]
1801: Major-General John Whitelocke
1805: Colonel Hidebrand Oakes
1805: Major-General Hon. John Hope
1806: Major-General Sir George Prevost
1809: Major-General Arthur Whetham
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
1823-1828: Major-General Sir James Lyons KCB
1834-1838: Major-General Sir Thomas McMahon KCB
Sources