Flag of the State of Virginia
The Governor of Virginia was an official usually from that state, appointed by the King to serve their required term in office. The Governor was in charge of collecting taxes, repairing roads, paying officials in the local governments, protecting their borders, enforcing the Royal Bill of Rights within state cases, and served King and Congress. Although, with Virginia being such a large and powerful state within the country, their Governors were typically given more freedom than in other states.
The first Governor of Virginia under the monarchy was appointed in 1807; before this, the Governors were popularly elected by the people of the state. Under the state's first constitution, Governors served for one year terms, with a limit of 3 consecutive terms; after leaving office, former Governors could return to their post. This changed in 1830, when an amendment was added to the Virginia Constitution, changing the Governor's term to a single, nonrenewable three year term. This created a special situation where after serving a one year term, Governor John Floyd was appointed to a three year term, making him the longest serving Governor of Virginia.
| # | Name | Term | Party | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Tyler Sr. | 1807-1810 | Crown | 3 |
| 2 | James Monroe | 1810-1813 | Crown | 3 |
| 3 | James Barbour | 1813-1816 | Crown | 3 |
| 4 | George William Smith | 1816-1819 | Crown | 3 |
| 5 | James Monroe | 1819-1822 | Crown | 3 |
| 6 | John Tyler | 1822-1823 | Crown | 1 |
| 7 | William Henry Harrison | 1823-1826 | Crown | 3 |
| 8 | Abel P. Upshur | 1826-1829 | Whig | 3 |
| 9 | John Floyd | 1829-1833 | Crown | 2 |
| 10 | Littleton Waller Tazewell | 1833-1836 | Crown | 1 |
| 11 | Wyndham Robertson | 1836-1839 | Whig | 1 |
| 12 | David Campbell | 1839-1842 | Crown | 1 |
| 13 | Thomas Walker Gilmer | 1842-1845 | Whig | 1 |
| 14 | William Smith | 1845-1848 | Crown | 1 |
| 15 | John B. Floyd | 1848-1851 | Crown | 1 |
| 16 | Henry A. Wise | 1851-1854 | Know-Nothing | 1 |