Walter Joseph Sendall

Early Life

Sir Walter Joseph Sendall (24 December 1832 – 16 March 1904) was a British colonial governor.

Sendall was born in Langham, Suffolk, England. He attended King Edward VI School, Bury St Edmunds, and later entered Christ's College, Cambridge in 1854. During his time at Cambridge, he became friends with notable individuals such as Walter Besant, John Peile, John Robert Seeley, and Charles Stuart Calverley.

Career

Sendall married Sophie Calverley, the sister of Charles Stuart Calverley, while still a student at Cambridge.

### Director of Public Instruction in Ceylon

As Director of Public Instruction in Ceylon, Sendall expanded the system of schools, teaching in English and the vernacular.

### Governor-in-Chief of the Windward Islands (1885-1889)

Sendall served as Governor-in-Chief of the Windward Islands from 1885 to 1889. During this period, he promoted road construction in Grenada and founded a botanical garden. However, his tenure was also marked by controversy when he suspended the Legislative Council on St. Vincent, opting not to appoint black members whom he deemed unqualified.

### Governor of Barbados (1889-1891)

Sendall later served as Governor of Barbados from 1889 to 1891.

### High Commissioner of Cyprus (1892-1898)

He was appointed High Commissioner of Cyprus between 1892 and 1898.

### Last Governor of British Guiana (1898-1901)

Finally, Sendall served as the last Governor of British Guiana from 1898 to 1901.