Edward Windley
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Sir Edward Windley
| honorific-suffix = KCVO KCMG
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| office = Governor of the Gambia
| term_start = 12 June 1958
| term_end = 29 March 1962
| monarch = Elizabeth II
| predecessor = Percy Wyn-Harris
| successor = John Paul
| birth_name = Sir Edward Henry Windley
| birth_date = 10 March 1909
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1972|01|05|1909|03|10|df=y}}
| death_place = Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| death_cause = Aeroplane accident
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| nationality = British
| party =
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| alma_mater = St Catharine's College, Cambridge
}}
Sir Edward Henry Windley KCVO KCMG (10 March 1909 – 5 January 1972) was a British colonial administrator who served as the second-to-last Governor of the Gambia, from 1958 to 1962, before it achieved independence from the United Kingdom.
Early life and family
Windley was born in 1909, the son of Edward Crosland Windley and Florence de Toustain, Vicomtesse de Toustain. He was educated at Repton School and studied at St Catharine's College, Cambridge from 1927 to 1930.{{Cite web|url=http://www.society.caths.cam.ac.uk/Public_Magazines/1972r.pdf|title=St Catherine's Society Magazine|date=September 1972|website=St Catherine's College|page=24}}{{Cite book|url=http://shcas.shnu.edu.cn/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=aCQNjKp7ZrU%3D&tabid=12805&mid=31237&language=zh-CN|title=Historical Dictionary of the Gambia|last=Hughes|first=Arnold|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2008|location=Lanham|pages=242–243|access-date=2017-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194052/http://shcas.shnu.edu.cn/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=aCQNjKp7ZrU%3D&tabid=12805&mid=31237&language=zh-CN|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=dead}}
Windley married Patience Ann Sergison-Brooke, the daughter of Sir Bertram Sergison-Brooke and Prudence Sergison, on 29 March 1939. They had a daughter, Davina, who married George Dawson-Damer, 7th Earl of Portarlington.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thepeerage.com/p5458.htm#i54579|title=Person Page|website=The Peerage|access-date=9 March 2017}}
Career
Much of Windley's early career was spent as an administrator in Kenya. He was appointed as a district officer of Narok District on 9 December 1936 and then as a district officer of Masai District, based in Kajiado, on 27 February 1938.Kenya Gazette: [https://books.google.com/books?id=RhzxJoH1uN0C&dq=edward+henry+windley&pg=PA1543 vol. XXXVIII no. 70 p. 1543.] 29 December 1936.Kenya Gazette: [https://books.google.com/books?id=pTEmNqsvzegC&dq=edward+henry+windley&pg=PA359 vol. XL no. 19 p. 359.] 5 April 1938. He became the District Commissioner in Narok on 27 February 1945.Kenya Gazette: [https://books.google.com/books?id=7MXFJm6bE8sC&dq=edward+henry+windley&pg=PA117 vol. XLVII no. 12 p. 117]. 10 March 1945. On 30 January 1948, he was promoted to Deputy Provincial Commissioner of the Central Province in Kenya, serving under Aubrey Mullins.Kenya Gazette: [https://books.google.com/books?id=xvGSUhBAwuoC&dq=edward+henry+windley&pg=PA9 vol. L no. 2 p. 9.] 13 January 1943. On 15 April 1948, he was appointed as Acting Provincial Commissioner of the Central Province,Kenya Gazette: [https://books.google.com/books?id=gqhmTvPinJEC&dq=edward+henry+windley&pg=PA291 vol. L no. 17 p. 291.] 17 April 1948. and on 18 October 1949, he was promoted to full Provincial Commissioner of Central Province.Kenya Gazette: [https://books.google.com/books?id=qpcc354-L9wC&dq=edward+henry+windley&pg=PA919 vol. LI no. 53 p. 919.] 8 November 1949. Windley went on leave in 1954 and returned on 15 January 1955 to serve as Chief Native Commissioner and Minister for African Affairs.Kenya Gazette: [https://books.google.com/books?id=YtPdh85W5PUC&dq=edward+henry+windley&pg=PA70 vol. LVII no. 5 p. 70.] 1 February 1955.
He served as Governor of the Gambia from 12 June 1958 to 29 March 1962. On 29 September 1959, a revised constitution drawn up by Windley was published. It established the House of Representatives of the Gambia, to replace the Legislative Council. One of his aims as Governor was to encourage a union between the Gambia and the neighbouring French colony of Senegal, which achieved independence in 1960. Following the 1960 election, Windley made the controversial decision to appoint Pierre Sarr N'Jie as the first Chief Minister of the Gambia despite the United Party not holding a majority in the House.
For his services, he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) and a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG). He retired from the civil service in 1962 after his time in the Gambia ended.
Death
References
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{{Governors of the Gambia}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Windley, Edward}}
Category:Colonial Administrative Service officers
Category:Governors of the Gambia
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George