Colonies and territories (Cromwell the Great)

The East offering its riches to Britannia. Allegorical ceiling piece commissioned by the East India Company.

The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.(Edward Gibbon)

The Commonwealth has several territories in America, Africa, India. East Indies, Australasia and Oceania and Europe.

These territories are either dominions, commonwealths, colonies, territories or protectorates. Their administration varies from fully autonomous with home rule to directly administered.

History

Commonwealth Ensign. Flown by British Merchant ships. Also used by overseas dominions and colonies.

Under Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell (1653-1658) the Commonwealth already had several American colonies; Virginia (1607), Newfoundland (1610), Bermuda (1623), Leeward Islands (consolidated in 1664), Barbados (1627), Massachusetts Bay (1628), Plymouth (1628, Maryland (1932), Connecticut (1636), Rhode Island (1636), New Heaven (1638), Bahamas (1648). It gained from France Nova Scotia (1654), and Spain the Colony of Colony of Jamaica (1655) the later by the Western Design campaign. The most important and populated colonies and more mature ones in their society were Virginia, Maryland and the ones of New England. The later providing men on the side of Parliament during the British Civil Wars (1636-1651).

In times of Henry Cromwell (1658-1696) the several colonies of North America were consolidated in the Dominion of New England (1675) under a Governor-General named by the Lord Protector. It was under his rule that the East India Company secured its foothold in India in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was given the administration of Borealia in North America becoming one of the main suppliers of fur for Europe. Under Henry Cromwell's administration the base of colonial administration was established and the Navigation Acts regulated commerce.

The British in expansion in India was done by means of a private venture, the East India Company until the crisis of the Clive-Dupleix Agreement (1761) that began the direct control of India by the Commonwealth.

After Seven Years' War (1756-1763) and by the Treaty of Paris (1763) the Commonwealth gained in North America from France the Colony of Quebec and the Northwest Territories of which were carved out of the colonies and Indian territories of Illinois Country, Ohio and Tennessee.

Administration and Government

Colonies and territories can be distinguished in the following groups according to their patent letters, charters and acts of Parliament and orders of Protector-in-Council.

• Charter Colonies sometimes called dominions or commonwealths. The governor and an assembly are elected by the colonists. The Protector has reserved powers like organizing and appointing the judiciary, name Colonial Commissioners with specific instructions that can include the suspension of the colonial charter or nominate a Provisional Council or name a military commander. The oldest charter colonies are Virginia and Maryland;
• Commonwealth colonies, the former Crown colonies, in which the governor is appointed by the Protector and has an elected legislative assembly. Their home rule is determined by Charters. Examples are Barbados and New Arcadia.
• Proprietary Colonies, are the colonies whose administration and property is granted to a lord or lords proprietors, that hold the authority by virtue of a charter. Authority is usually exercised in a way that they are almost an independent sovereign;
• Company Colonies, are the territories directly administered by a chartered company, such as the ones in Asia, Africa and America by the East India Company, Hudson's Bay Company, Adventurers Trading to Africa, etc.;
• Presidencies of India, the administrative divisions, similar to a province, of British governance in India; and
• Protectorates, indirectly ruled with most of the government functions are in hands of the local rulers and the British Commonwealth administrators direct foreign relations, the treasury and the military.

Long established colonies usually have a Governor (named either by the Protector, the proprietary, the Chartered company, or the colonists), an executive council, and a legislative council (elected or partially named). Law courts are usually created and named by the Governor or directly named by the Protector.

The directives of the colonial policy and administration reside in the Lord Protector and the Commonwealth Council of State. Though most and everyday issues are derived or resolved by the Council for Foreign Plantations and Council of Trade, both permanent bodies of the State Council.

America

For example, across the Atlantic Ocean it has several colonies in the Caribbean and North America. These are:

• United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, it includes Massachusetts Bay Colony (established 1628), Plymouth Colony (1628), Colony of Connecticut (1636), and New Haven Colony (1638-1662 merged to Connecticut). Abolished in 1675 on the formation of the Dominion of New England.

Colony or Territory	Establishment /	Political Status	Region
Virginia	1607 to date	Commonwealth (former Crown) Colony -> Charter Colony 1663 to date.	Southern Colonies (Chesapeake Colonies)
	Capital Jamestown. First permanent colony in North America. Fourth Charter of 1663.
Newfoundland	1610 to date	Proprietary Colony 1610 to date	Canada
	Capital St. John's. Administered by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence Trade and Fishing Company.
Bermuda	1612 to date	Company Colony	West Indies
	Capital Saint George's Town. Administered by the Somers Isles Company.
Leeward Islands Colony	1623 to date	Commonwealth (former Crown) Colony	West Indies
	Capital Basseterre (Saint Christopher Island). Includes Antigua (1632), Barbuda (1684), Montserrat (1632), Saint Kitts (1623), Nevis (1628), and Anguilla (1650). Act for Leeward Caribbean Island Government of 1664.
Barbados	1627 to date	Proprietary Colony 1627 - Commonwealth Colony 1652 to date.	West Indies
	Capital Bridgetown.
Massachusetts Bay	1628-1675	Charter Colony	New England
	Capital Boston. Former member of the New England Confederation (1643). Became part of the Dominion of New England in 1675.
Plymouth	1628-1675	Charter Colony	New England
	Capital Plymouth. Former member of the New England Confederation (1643). Became part of the Dominion of New England in 1675.
Maryland	1632 to date	Proprietary Colony 1632 - Charter Colony 1662 to date.	Southern Colonies (Chesapeake Colonies)
	Capital Annapolis. Funding charter provides toleration to all Christian groups. Maryland Charter of 1661.
Connecticut	1636-1675	Charter Colony	New England
	Capital Hartford. Former member of the New England Confederation (1643). Became part of the Dominion of New England in 1675.
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations	1636-1675	Charter Colony	New England
	Capital Providence. Freedom of religion among rights of colonial charters. Became part of the Dominion of New England in 1675.
New Haven	1638-1662 merged to Connecticut	Charter Colony	New England
	Capital New Heaven. Former member of the New England Confederation (1643).
Bahamas	1648 to date	Company Colony	West Indies
	Capital New Providence. Administered by the Eleutherian Adventurers. Freedom of religion among rights of colonial charters.
Nova Scotia	1654 to date	Proprietary Colony	Canada
	Capital Alexandria. Administered by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence Trade and Fishing Company.
Jamaica	1655 to date	Commonwealth Colony	West Indies
	Capital Cagway (until 1692), Port Oliver (since 1692)
Borealia	1670 to date	Company Colony	Canada
	Capital Fort Rupert. Administered by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC).
Dominion of New England	1675 to date	Commonwealth Colony	New England
	Capital Boston. Acts of New England Dominion Charter (1675 and 1704)
Quebec	1763 to date	Commonwealth Colony	Canada
	Capital Québec. Former part of French Canada.
Ontario Lands	1763 to date	Commonwealth Colony and Indian Territory	Canada
	Capital Toronto. Former part of French Canada.
Illinois	1763-1838	Commonwealth Colony and Indian Territory	Northwest Territories
	Capital Chicago. Former part of French Canada. Later part of Indiana.
Ohio	1766-1838	Commonwealth Colony and Indian Territory	Northwest Territories
	Capital New Lancaster. Former part of French Canada. Later part of Indiana.
Tennessee	1768-1838	Commonwealth Colony and Indian Territory	Northwest Territories
	Capital Fort Loudoun. Former part of French Canada. Later part of Indiana.
Dominion of Indiana	1838 to date	Commonwealth Colony and Indian Territory	Northwest Territories
	Capital Chicago. Merger of Ohio, Illinois Country and Tennessee (by Commonwealth Charter Establishing the Dominion of Indiana, 1838)

Africa

Colony or Territory	Establishment	Political Status	Region
Saint Helena	1659 to date	Company Colony (1659-1804), Commonwealth Colony (1804 to date)	South Atlantic Ocean
	Capital Castle of St John. Administered by the East India Company, chartered in 1657. Military naval base. It consists of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha.
Senegambia	1664 to date	Commonwealth Colony and Protectorate	Western Africa
	Capital Bathurst.
Gold Coast and Guinea Settlements	1665 to date	Coastal settlements and protectorates	Western Africa
	Capital Cape Castle. Administered by the Company of Adventurers Trading to Africa (CATA) administration 1665-1769.
British West Africa		Commonwealth Colony and Protectorate	Western Africa
	Consolidation of various forts and trade posts of the CATA.
Natal		Commonwealth Colony	Southern Africa
	Capital Natal. Former Boer state of Natalia

India

India before the Carnatic Wars (administered by the East India Company)

• Presidency of Bombay
• Presidency of Calcutta
• Presidency of Madras

Territories in India after the Carnatic Wars

Pitt's India Act of 1803 transferred political and diplomatic affairs to the Government of the Commonwealth ending East India Company rule. The Board of Control (for the administration of British India 1764-1804) was replaced by the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India (1804 to date).

Colony or Territory	Establishment /	Political Status	Region
Bengal Presidency	1612 to date	Presidency of British India	India
	Capital Calcutta.
Bombay Presidency	1618 to date	Presidency of British India	India
	Capital Bombay.
Madras Presidency	1652 to date	Presidency of British India	India
	Capital Mandras.
Oudh State or Kingdom of Oudh		Protectorate	India
Jaipur State		Protectorate	India
	Capital Jaipur.
Baroda State (British Protectorate)		Protectorate	India
	Capital Baroda.

Asia and East Indies

Colony or Territory	Establishment /	Political Status	Region
Presidency of Bantam	1634 to 1683	Presidency of British India.	Java.
	Capital Bantam. Ceded to the Netherlands.
Presidency of Pryaman	1685 to date	Presidency of British India	Sumatra
	Capital Pryaman

Australasia and Oceania

Colony or Territory	Establishment /	Political Status	Region
Arcadia	1782 to date	Commonwealth Colony	Australasia
	Capital Sydney.
Tasmania		Commonwealth Colony	Australasia
	Capital Hobart. Dutch Colony 1774-1805, occupied by France 1805-1811
Cookland	1826 to date	Commonwealth Colony	Australasia
	Capital Brisbane. Created from northern territories of Arcadia.
Aotearoa (Waitangi)		Treaty Polity (Britannia-France-Dutch)	Australasia
Kingdom of Hawaii		Protectorate	Oceania
	Capital Honolulu.
Kingdom of Fiji		Protectorate	Oceania
	Capital Suva.
Solomon Islands		Colony	Oceania
	Capital Honiara. Administered by Arcadia.
British Western Territories		Territory	Oceania
	Includes Gilbert and Ellice, Kiribati, Cook, Tonga and others.

Europe

• Gibraltar.
• Malta (capital Valletta). Briefly occupied by France (1798–1800, 1803-1805) and Commonwealth (1800-1802, 1805-1810). The Treaty of Amiens awarded Malta to the Kingdom of Sicily (1802-1810) under protection of the Commonwealth. Treaty of Vienna (1810) awards Malta to the Commonwealth for perpetuity.

---