Who was the first royal governor of Georgia?

• A. James Oglethorpe
• B. Henry Ellis
• C. John Reynolds
• D. Lachlan McIntosh

Answer: (C)

Georgia’s government shifted from a trustee-led system to royal control in the early 1750s. Under the Trustees, James Oglethorpe served as the colony’s leader, but when the trustees surrendered governance and Georgia became a royal colony, the Crown appointed the first royal governor. That initial royal governor was John Reynolds, who took office in 1754 and began the royal administration. Henry Ellis and James Wright followed, while Lachlan McIntosh is known as a Revolutionary War figure, not a colonial governor. So, the first royal governor is John Reynolds.