Who was the British governor of Saint Helena during Napoleon's captivity?

Sir Hudson Lowe was the British governor of Saint Helena during Napoleon's captivity there.

Lowe, a British Army officer and colonial administrator, served as governor from 1816 until 1821. Napoleon arrived on the island in October 1815, initially under the supervision of Admiral George Cockburn, so Lowe was not the governor for the first months. He assumed responsibility after reaching Plantation House in 1816 and remained in office until Napoleon's death.

The two men had a deeply hostile relationship. Lowe enforced restrictions intended to prevent escape or rescue, including sentries around Longwood and rules governing how Napoleon could be addressed. Napoleon and his supporters viewed him as a harsh jailer, while Lowe believed that strict surveillance was required by the British government's instructions.

Lowe and Napoleon met only a handful of times, and their conflict became part of the legend of the exile. Later claims that Lowe caused Napoleon's death remain controversial, but the autopsy attributed the death in 1821 to complications from stomach cancer. Sir John Moore, Lord Castlereagh, and William Pitt were prominent British figures, but none served as governor of Saint Helena during this period.