document_title: Centre points of the United Kingdom

question_text: where is the centre of the british isles

text: Centre points of the United Kingdom

text: Traditional locations[edit]

text: The town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland has banners stating that it is the "Centre of Britain".[1] By another calculation the centre can also be said to be Dunsop Bridge, Lancashire (historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire), 71 miles (114 km) to the south.[2]

text: However, in 2002 the Ordnance Survey conducted studies that pinpointed the respective centres more precisely, and it is their results that are quoted below.[3]

text: Centroid locations[edit]

text:
Whitendale Hanging Stones
Morecambe Bay
Calderstones
Lindley Hall Farm
Annaghone
Near Blair Atholl
Cwmystwyth
Church Flatts Farm
Near Hammerwich

text: Put simply, the centroid is the point at which a cardboard cut-out of the area could be perfectly balanced on the tip of a pencil.[4]  Islands are assumed fixed to the mainland in their precise position by invisible rigid weightless wires. A mathematical method is used to do the balancing to a much greater accuracy than the practical method could achieve.

text: Unless stated, positions are the centroids of the two-dimensional shapes made by the countries. Calculations include offshore islands unless stated.

text: Great Britain

text: Whitendale Hanging Stones, near Brennand Farm, outside Dunsop Bridge, Lancashire in the Forest of Bowland.(54°0′13.176″N 2°32′52.278″W / 54.00366000°N 2.54785500°W / 54.00366000; -2.54785500 (Centre of Great Britain); grid reference SD6418856541) [2]

text: Great Britain (excluding islands other than the island of Great Britain itself)

text: A field south of Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, near Whalley, Lancashire (grid reference SD7232136671)[5]

text: England

text: Lindley Hall Farm, Leicestershire (near Fenny Drayton and Higham on the Hill) (52°33′42.942″N 1°27′53.474″W / 52.56192833°N 1.46485389°W / 52.56192833; -1.46485389 (Centre of England); SP 36373.66 96143.05) [6] A plaque denoting this point, and disputing the "traditional" centre of England as being at Meriden in the West Midlands, was erected by Ordnance Survey on 14 June 2013 [7]

text: Northern Ireland

text: Annaghone, near Cookstown, County Tyrone (54°36′27.277″N 6°41′35.323″W / 54.60757694°N 6.69314528°W / 54.60757694; -6.69314528 (Centre of Northern Ireland) [8] grid reference NV9706433729 ) Irish grid ref  H 84494 74047.

text: Scotland

text: Between Blair Atholl and Dalwhinnie, Perthshire (56°49′0.257″N 4°11′2.267″W / 56.81673806°N 4.18396306°W / 56.81673806; -4.18396306 (Centre of Scotland); grid reference NN6678471599) [4]

text: Wales

text: Near Cwmystwyth, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion (52°19′48.791″N 3°45′59.072″W / 52.33021972°N 3.76640889°W / 52.33021972; -3.76640889 (Centre of Wales); grid reference SN7972871704) [9]

text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

text: A position "in the middle of Morecambe Bay", approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off the coast at Morecambe, Lancashire, at Ordnance Survey grid reference SD4157566760.[10]

text: Locations found by other methods[edit]

text: Point farthest from the sea

text: Church Flatts Farm, Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire[2] (52°43′39″N 1°37′31″W / 52.72759°N 1.6252°W / 52.72759; -1.6252)

text: Point farthest from high tide mark (including tidal rivers)

text: Between Hammerwich and Wall, south-west of Lichfield, Staffordshire (52°40′N 1°51′W / 52.66°N 1.85°W / 52.66; -1.85 (Point farthest from high tide mark);)[citation needed]

text: Mid point of the longest north–south axis

text: Haltwhistle, Northumberland. The midpoint of the longest north–south meridian; also approximately the midpoint of each of the lines through it across Great Britain along the 16 main compass directions.[11]

text: Centre of population

text: This calculation depends on the method used (mean, median or geometric median; see Centre of population for details).

text: Centre of a rectangle enclosing precisely all of England and Wales

text: Near Woodseaves, south of Market Drayton, Shropshire[citation needed]

text: Centre of England

text: For centuries the parish of Meriden to the west of Coventry has claimed to be the geographical centre of England, and there has been a stone cross there commemorating the claim for at least 500 years.  The justification is that the point farthest from the sea is in the parish.[citation needed] Morton, Derbyshire also claims to be the centre of England as it is not only mid-way along England's longest north-south axis,[citation needed] but also midway between the east coast and the Welsh border.[citation needed] Claims are also made for a tree, the Midland Oak, in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, although the basis for these claims is not clear.


document_title: Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations

question_text: when did nigeria become a member of commonwealth

root

text: Current members[edit]

text: All dates below are provided by the Commonwealth of Nations Secretariat members list, and population figures are as of 1 January 2018.[8]

tag: p

text:
Country
Joined
Continent
Population[9]
Notes[A]

Antigua and Barbuda ! Antigua and Barbuda[D]
1981-11-011 November 1981
Caribbean
94,195

Australia ! Australia[D]
1931-12-1111 December 1931
Australia
24,772,247
Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 1 January 1901. Australia was one of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931, although the statute was not adopted in Australia until 1942 (with retroactive effect from 1939).[10] The Australia Act 1986 established specifically, only the State Premier could now advise the Queen on appointment or removal of a State Governor. Nonetheless, the Queen could still exercise any of her powers with respect to the State if she was "personally present" in the State.[11]

Bahamas ! Bahamas[D]
1973-07-1010 July 1973
Caribbean
402,576

Bangladesh ! Bangladesh
1972-04-1818 April 1972[12]
Asia
165,867,307
Declared independence from Pakistan in 1971.[13]

Barbados ! Barbados[D]
1966-11-3030 November 1966
Caribbean
286,618

Belize ! Belize[D]
1981-09-2121 September 1981
North America
379,636

Botswana ! Botswana
1966-09-3030 September 1966
Africa
2,377,831

Brunei ! Brunei
1984-01-011 January 1984
Asia
439,022

Cameroon ! Cameroon
1995-11-1313 November 1995[14]
Africa
24,836,674
Most of the country was the formerly French mandate territory (later UN trust territory) of Cameroun and gained independence from France on 1 January 1960, uniting with the much smaller former British mandate/trust territory of Southern Cameroons on its gaining independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1961.

Canada ! Canada[D]
1931-12-1111 December 1931
North America
36,885,861
Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 1 July 1867. Canada was the first among the several original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931.[15] Incorporated another original Dominion, Newfoundland, on 31 March 1949.[16] The Canada Act 1982 formally ended the "request and consent" provisions of the Statute of Westminster 1931 in relation to Canada, whereby the British parliament had a general power to pass laws extending to Canada at its own request.

Cyprus ! Cyprus[E]
1961-03-1313 March 1961[17]
Eurasia
1,197,667
Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 16 August 1960.

Dominica ! Dominica
1978-11-033 November 1978
Caribbean
72,975

Fiji ! Fiji[B]
1970-10-1010 October 1970
Oceania
909,024
Left in 1987; rejoined in 1997; suspended on 6 June 2000;[18] suspension lifted on 20 December 2001;[19] again suspended on 8 December 2006 because of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.[20][21] Suspension lifted on 26 September 2014.

The Gambia ! The Gambia
1965-02-1818 February 1965
Africa
2,155,958
Withdrew on 3 October 2013 citing "neo-colonialism".[22][23] Following the election of Adama Barrow as President of Gambia in 2016, it submitted an application to re-join the Commonwealth on 22 January 2018,[24] and rejoined on 8 February 2018.[25]

Ghana ! Ghana
1957-03-066 March 1957
Africa
29,088,849

Grenada ! Grenada[D]
1974-02-077 February 1974
Caribbean
107,894

Guyana ! Guyana
1966-05-2626 May 1966
South America
773,808

India ! India
1947-08-1515 August 1947
Asia
1,353,014,094
Incorporated former French India (Chandannagar from 2 May 1950 and Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahé from 1 November 1954), former Portuguese India (Goa, Daman and Diu from 19 December 1961 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli formally from 1961) and Sikkim (from 16 May 1975).

Jamaica ! Jamaica[D]
1962-08-066 August 1962
Caribbean
2,819,888

Kenya ! Kenya
1963-12-1212 December 1963
Africa
49,167,382

Kiribati ! Kiribati
1979-07-1212 July 1979
Oceania
117,636

Lesotho ! Lesotho
1966-10-044 October 1966
Africa
2,199,492

Malawi ! Malawi
1964-07-066 July 1964
Africa
18,558,768

Malaysia ! Malaysia
1957-08-3131 August 1957[26][27]
Asia
31,505,208
Joined as the Federation of Malaya in 1957; reformed as Malaysia on 16 September 1963 with its federation with Singapore (which became a separate state on 9 August 1965), North Borneo, and Sarawak.[28]

Malta ! Malta
1964-09-2121 September 1964
Europe
422,212

Mauritius ! Mauritius
1968-03-1212 March 1968
Africa
1,286,240

Mozambique ! Mozambique
1995-11-1313 November 1995[29]
Africa
29,977,238
Gained independence from Portugal on 26 June 1975. The first country to be admitted to the Commonwealth without any former colonial or constitutional links with the United Kingdom.[30]

Namibia ! Namibia
1990-03-2121 March 1990
Africa
2,600,857
Gained independence from South Africa.[31] Includes Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands transferred by South Africa at midnight 28 February 1994.

Nauru ! Nauru[B]
1968-11-01†1 November 1968
Oceania
10,387
Gained independence on 31 January 1968 from joint trusteeship of Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom. A special member from 1 November 1968 until 1 May 1999, when it became a full member,[32] before reverting to special status in January 2006.[33] A full member again since June 2011.[34]

New Zealand ! New Zealand[D]
1931-12-1111 December 1931
Oceania
4,609,755
Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 26 September 1907. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931, although the Statute was not adopted in New Zealand until 1947.[35] Removed final links with the British Parliament in 1986.

Nigeria ! Nigeria
1960-10-011 October 1960
Africa
194,615,054
Incorporated the former British mandate/trust territory of Northern Cameroons on 31 May 1961. Suspended in 1995, suspension lifted in 1999.[36]

Pakistan ! Pakistan
1947-08-1414 August 1947[C]
Asia
199,031,265
Includes the city of Gwadar, transferred from Muscat and Oman on 8 September 1958. Included Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) until 1971.[13] Left Commonwealth in 1972, rejoined 1989; suspended in 1999, suspension lifted in 2004; again suspended in 2007,[37] suspension lifted in 2008.[38]

Papua New Guinea ! Papua New Guinea[D]
1975-09-1616 September 1975
Australia
8,034,630
Gained independence from Australia.

Rwanda ! Rwanda
2009-11-2929 November 2009[6]
Africa
12,322,920
Gained independence from Belgium on 1 July 1962. The second country (after Mozambique) to be admitted to the Commonwealth without any former colonial or constitutional links with the United Kingdom.[30] Unlike Mozambique, has adopted English as an official language since joining.

Saint Kitts and Nevis ! Saint Kitts and Nevis[B][D]
1983-09-1919 September 1983
Caribbean
56,632

Saint Lucia ! Saint Lucia[D]
1979-02-2222 February 1979
Caribbean
189,000

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ! Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[D]
1979-10-2727 October 1979
Caribbean
109,501
A special member from 27 October 1979 until 1 June 1985.

Samoa ! Samoa[B]
1970-08-2828 August 1970
Oceania
196,954
Gained independence from New Zealand on 1 January 1962. Joined as Western Samoa, subsequently changing its name to Samoa on 4 July 1997.[39]

Seychelles ! Seychelles
1976-06-2929 June 1976
Africa
98,248

Sierra Leone ! Sierra Leone
1961-04-2727 April 1961
Africa
6,818,117

Singapore ! Singapore[B]
1965-10-15†9 August 1966 (effective from 9 August 1965)[40]
Asia
5,889,117
Gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Became independent on 9 August 1965.[41]

Solomon Islands ! Solomon Islands[D]
1978-07-077 July 1978
Oceania
614,497

South Africa ! South Africa
1931-12-1111 December 1931
Africa
56,007,479
Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 31 May 1910. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Left on 31 May 1961; rejoined 1 June 1994.[42]

Sri Lanka ! Sri Lanka
1948-02-044 February 1948
Asia
20,979,811
Joined as the Dominion of Ceylon, subsequently changing its name in 1972. Became a republic in 1972 and severed final ties with Britain.

eSwatsi ! Swaziland
1968-09-066 September 1968
Africa
1,336,933

Tanzania ! Tanzania
1961-12-099 December 1961
Africa
57,790,062
Joined as Tanganyika and later Zanzibar, which subsequently merged to form Tanzania on 26 April 1964.[43]

Tonga ! Tonga
1970-06-044 June 1970
Oceania
107,228

Trinidad and Tobago ! Trinidad and Tobago
1962-08-3131 August 1962
Caribbean
1,376,801

Tuvalu ! Tuvalu[B][D]
1978-10-011 October 1978
Oceania
10,116
A special member from 1 October 1978 until 1 September 2000.[44]

Uganda ! Uganda
1962-10-099 October 1962
Africa
42,288,962

United Kingdom ! United Kingdom
1931-12-1111 December 1931
Europe
65,746,853
The Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Statute of Westminster 1931.

Vanuatu ! Vanuatu[B]
1980-07-3030 July 1980
Oceania
279,953
Gained independence from joint rule of France and United Kingdom.

Zambia ! Zambia
1964-10-2424 October 1964
Africa
17,470,471

tag: table

text:
^ A. Unless otherwise noted, independence was gained from the United Kingdom on the date (shown in column 2) of joining the Commonwealth.
^ B. Not a member of the Commonwealth Foundation.
^ C. Though Pakistan celebrates 14 August 1947 as its independence day, independence was officially granted at midnight, 15 August 1947. Therefore, its date of joining the Commonwealth would be 15 August 1947.
^ D. Commonwealth realms, recognising Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state since the day of their independence, distinctly from her being the sovereign of the United Kingdom.
^ E. Geopolitically part of Europe, but geographically part of Asia.

text: Former members[edit]

text:
Country
Joined
Continent
Left
Notes

Ireland ! Ireland
1931-12-1111 December 1931
Europe
1949-04-1818 April 1949
One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931.[16] Withdrew after passing the Republic of Ireland Act in 1948, accepted by the United Kingdom in 1949 Ireland Act 1949[13].

Maldives ! Maldives
1982-07-099 July 1982
Asia
2016-10-1313 October 2016
Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 26 July 1965.[45] A special member from 9 July 1982 until 20 July 1985.[46] Announced on 13 October 2016 that it has withdrawn from the Commonwealth.[47][48]

Zimbabwe ! Zimbabwe
1980-10-011 October 1980
Africa
2003-12-077 December 2003
Suspended on 19 March 2002.[19] Withdrew voluntarily on 7 December 2003.[49]

text: Dissolved members[edit]

text:
Former country
Joined
Continent
Dissolved
Rejoined as part of
Notes

Malaya ! Malaya
1957-08-3131 August 1957
Asia
1963-07-3131 July 1963[27]
Malaysia ! Malaysia
Reformed as the Federation of Malaysia with Singapore (became a separate member in 1965), Sabah, and Sarawak.

Newfoundland ! Newfoundland
1931-12-1111 December 1931
North America
1934-02-1631 March 1949
Canada ! Canada
One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Government suspended on 16 February 1934, merged into Canada on 31 March 1949.[16]

Tanganyika ! Tanganyika
1961-12-099 December 1961
Africa
1964-04-2626 April 1964
Tanzania ! Tanzania
The two countries merged to form Tanzania on 26 April 1964.[43]

Zanzibar ! Zanzibar
1963-12-1010 December 1963

text: Prospective members[edit]

text:
Country
Applied
Continent
Population
Notes

Somaliland ! Somaliland
2009[50]
Africa
~3,500,000[F]
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state internationally recognised as part of Somalia. It has applied to join the Commonwealth under observer status.[50] Its borders approximate to those of British Somaliland, which was a protectorate from 1884 to 1960.

South Sudan ! South Sudan
2011[51]
Africa
13,670,642
Gained independence from Britain as part of Sudan in 1956. Gained independence from Sudan in 2011.[52]

Sudan ! Sudan
2009[53]
Africa
42,425,989
Sudan was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt known as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, but in practice the structure of the Condominium ensured full British control over the Sudan until its independence in 1956. Sudan has expressed an interest in joining the Commonwealth.[54]

Suriname ! Suriname[55]
2012
South America
555,934
English colony of Willoughbyland from 1650 to 1667 and controlled by the British from 1799 to 1816. Subsequently, a Dutch colony. In 2012, Suriname announced plans to join the Commonwealth[56] and the British government has made it a priority to provide guidance to Suriname in applying for Commonwealth membership.[57]

Burundi ! Burundi[58]
2013
Africa
10,524,117

text: ^ F. The population figure is based on 2014 estimates.

text: Other states which have expressed an interest in joining the Commonwealth over the years or states which may be eligible to join the Commonwealth include Algeria, Bahrain[54], Cambodia, Egypt[54], Eritrea[54], Israel[59], Libya[54], Madagascar, Palestine, United States[54] and Yemen.[60][61]


document_title: Deon Stewardson

question_text: who plays du plessis in wild at heart

question_tokens: who plays du plessis in wild at heart

text: Deon Stewardson

text: This biographical article needs additional citations for verification, as its only attribution is to IMDb. IMDb may not be a reliable source for biographical information. Please help by adding additional, reliable sources for verification. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text:
Deon Stewardson

Born
(1951-10-11)11 October 1951
South Africa

Died
27 October 2017(2017-10-27) (aged 66)
South Africa

Occupation
Actor

Years active
1981-2017

Known for
Wild at Heart (2006-12)

Parent(s)
Joe Stewardson

Relatives
Matthew Stewardson (brother)

text: Deon Stewardson (11 October 1951 – 27 October 2017) was a British-South African actor best known for his role as Anders Du Plessis in the ITV Drama series Wild at Heart. The eight series were popular in United Kingdom with television viewing figures between 7.5 million and 10 million. The last series was recorded in 2011 with a Christmas Special. He worked alongside many well known actors including Hayley Mills. Stewardson and his partner Marianne would live in the Hartbeespoort Dam area of South Africa during the six months filming and return to Aberdeen, Scotland on completion. He had a passion for wildlife and his character known as "Dup" worked perfectly for him. As well as this role he has taken on a number of minor roles in many different genres, including The Foster Gang. Stewardson has also starred in films, most notably Lethal Woman.[1]

text: Deon was the son of South African actor Joe Stewardson and brother of the late Matthew Stewardson who appeared in Idols South Africa (season 1)

text: Death[edit]

text: On the morning of October 28, 2017, a local outlet reported Stewardson had been found dead in the bathroom at a Graaff-Reinet accommodation establishment the previous afternoon, with police confirming it a suicide.[2] Stewardson is survived by his partner Marianne Meijer, sister Cheryl and half siblings Joanne and Sean. By his request there was no funeral and his family and friends arranged a 'get-together' [ Funeral ] to remember him on the day of the cremation. [3]

text: Filmography and Television appearances[edit]


document_title: The Governor (The Walking Dead)

question_text: who killed the governor in the walking dead

text: The Governor (The Walking Dead)

text: Appearances[edit]

text: Fictional character biography[edit]

text: Comic book series[edit]

text: Aside from simply "The Governor," the character's name appeared to be Philip Blake; however, with the release of the novel The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, it was revealed that his actual name was Brian Blake, and Philip was revealed to be his deceased brother.[2]

text: When the dead began to rise, Brian and Philip gathered a small group, which included Brian's niece Penny, and the group were constantly on the run when unsecured locations were breached; the planned community called the Wiltshire Estates, where Rick's group coincidentally stayed, was one of these. Eventually, Brian's group came upon Woodbury, Georgia, a ravaged town being led by a group of National Guardsmen under Major Gene Gavin, who used fear to assert his authority. After becoming the last of his group, Brian rallied the townspeople against Gavin and the Guardsmen and afterward declared himself "Governor" of the four blocks making up the settlement. Initially appearing to be a fair and strong leader, he became increasingly more ruthless and power-hungry. He kept the zombified Penny tied up in his apartment, feeding her severed body parts of those who displeased him.[3]

text: Following Woodbury's capture and the murder of stranded refugees from Atlanta, The Governor is met by Rick Grimes, when Grimes' band of survivors explores the town.[volume & issue needed] After initially acting hospitable, The Governor turns on the group.[volume & issue needed] Attempting to find the location of Rick's prison refuge in order to collect supplies for Woodbury, The Governor proceeds to cut off Rick's hand, torture Glenn, and rape and torture Michonne.[4] To learn the location of the prison, the Governor allows the survivors to escape the premises with the help of one of his guards, Caesar Martinez.[volume & issue needed] However, Michonne stays behind and finds her way to The Governor's apartment, where she brutally tortures him, severing his right arm, fingernails, penis, and left eye.[volume & issue needed] When Michonne rejoins the group and they ask her if The Governor is still alive, Michonne is uncertain.[5]

text: The Governor survives with the help of Bob Stookey, a citizen who had medical experience, and is eventually able to find the prison.[volume & issue needed] The Governor uses Rick's murder of Martinez to rally Woodbury's townspeople against the prison's inhabitants.[6] Things do not go according to plan, however, as Rick's group puts up a tenacious defense that forces Woodbury's humiliating retreat.[volume & issue needed] After a failed attempt to gain his way into the prison, by using Tyreese as a hostage and subsequently decapitating Tyreese with Michonne's katana, The Governor crushes the fences with a tank.[volume & issue needed] A bloody massacre ensues, leading to a high death toll and ultimately making the prison less secure and less habitable.[volume & issue needed]

text: Tensions steadily rise within The Governor's group, as their remaining ammunition is limited, and a handful of Woodbury residents' moral consciences come into play, especially regarding the killing of defenseless or young members of the prison group.[volume & issue needed] Both factors lead to the remnants of The Governor's army turning on him, and to Lilly's killing him, throwing his corpse to the zombies, and making a last-ditch attempt to fortify the prison.[7]

text: Television series[edit]

text: Before the outbreak, Philip and Brian Blake were raised by an abusive father. As an adult, Philip worked an office job with a boss he didn't get along with, was married, and had a daughter named Penny. Eighteen months before the outbreak, Philip lost his wife in a car accident. During the early days of the outbreak, Philip and Penny survived and found a community in Woodbury. Penny was bitten, however, and turned into a zombie. Unable to accept her death, Philip locked her up in a private room in his office. When the community was leaderless, they picked Philip to lead and began calling him "The Governor", a nickname which stuck. Determined not to lose the community, he executed any outsider groups he saw as a threat. He allowed some smaller groups to move into Woodbury if he deemed them to be an asset and not a threat to his leadership, but still took precautions and had them monitored by his lieutenants until he deemed them trustworthy. At some point during the first and second season The Governor encounters a dying Merle Dixon, whom The Governor enlisted, along with Caesar Martinez and Milton Mamet, as his lieutenant and advisers. He also tasks Milton, a scientist, with researching a means to reverse the virus in the hopes of saving Penny. The Governor was also known to have had affairs with many of the Woodbury women.

text: Personality[edit]

text: The Governor is charming and charismatic, but also murderous, violent, sociopathic, power-hungry, completely sadistic, and horrifically ruthless. He sees himself as the community's only hope for survival, and is thus willing to imprison, abuse and/or kill anyone he sees as a threat to his authority; for him, torture and mass murder are a means to an end. One example of this is when he and his men massacre a group of National Guardsmen, take their supplies. Later, he is proven to be completely cruel, heartless, and aggressive, willingly decapitating Hershel Greene with not even a single shred of remorse or mercy, even when Rick offers to make peace between the two factions, and ordering his men to kill Rick and his survivor group after mercilessly killing a little girl when she was bitten by a walker and dying.

text: Appearances in the television series[edit]

text: Season 3[edit]

text: The Governor first appears in "Walk with Me", season 3, episode 3, having forcibly taken Andrea and Michonne from the woods after Merle discovers them near a downed military helicopter. Woodbury, under The Governor's rule, is a functioning community that even bears some resemblance to the world before the virus struck. The townspeople are unaware that the Governor and his men massacred a platoon of National Guardsmen to get their supplies. In the episode "Killer Within", The Governor befriends Andrea, and he reveals some of his past to her, including his real name. In the episode "Say the Word", it is shown that The Governor has a zombified daughter named Penny, whom he keeps hidden, feeds body parts to, and grooms affectionately while playing the lullaby "Bye, Baby Bunting". The Governor allows Michonne to leave town, but she is unable to convince Andrea to leave with her. The Governor leads Andrea to a gathering for the townsfolk: a sparring match between Merle and Martinez surrounded by chained, toothless walkers. The spectacle shocks Andrea, who describes it as "barbaric", but the Governor insists it is "fun", and it teaches the residents to not be afraid. In the episode "Hounded", the Governor and Andrea begin a sexual relationship.

text: He sends Merle to find and kill Michonne, and although Merle fails to kill her, he returns with two captives, Glenn Rhee and Maggie Greene. In the episode "When the Dead Come Knocking", the Governor interrogates Maggie and eventually sexually assaults her, and leaves Glenn to be brutalized by Merle. When he threatens to shoot Glenn, Maggie gives The Governor the information about the prison and their group. In the mid-season finale "Made to Suffer", during Rick Grimes' foray into Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie, Michonne kills Penny. Enraged, the Governor attacks Michonne, and in self-defense she stabs him in the hand and the right eye with a glass shard. The Governor calls a town meeting, where he claims the town has been attacked by terrorists brought by Merle, and he brings forth Merle's brother Daryl Dixon in chains. The Governor orders them to fight to the death, and the town calls for their blood as a way to force the two brothers to fight each other.

text: In the mid-season premiere "The Suicide King", the fight between Merle and Daryl is broken up when the prison group attacks, allowing the brothers to escape. The Governor withdraws to his apartment, and the town is in a state of unrest after the attack. Andrea confronts him about her friends' presence in town, and then goes out to calm and inspire the townspeople. In the episode "Home", The Governor asks Milton Mamet where his loyalties lie, and asks him to keep tabs on Andrea. The Governor and his men then attack the prison; Rick Grimes' group runs for cover, and gunfire erupts on both sides. When a herd of walkers charge through town, the Governor gleefully sprays machine gun fire in the air and then drives off as the survivors struggle with the walkers.

text: In the episode "I Ain't a Judas", the Governor proceeds to rally Woodbury against the prison survivors, labeling them terrorists and raiders. Andrea wants to leave to negotiate peace with the prison group, but the Governor discourages her, implying that she will not be welcomed back if she leaves. When Milton tells the Governor that Andrea asked him to help her sneak out, the Governor tells him to go with her. The Governor welcomes Tyreese, Sasha, Allen, and Ben to Woodbury, after Rick kicked them out of the prison. Andrea returns to Woodbury and warily resumes her place at the Governor's side. In the episode "Arrow on the Doorpost", encouraged by Andrea, the Governor meets with Rick in a secluded grain silo to offer him peace in exchange for turning over Michonne, giving him two days to think about it. The Governor returns to Woodbury and secretly orders Martinez to set an ambush at the barn, to kill all of Rick's group and bring Michonne to Woodbury so The Governor can torture her. In the episode "Prey", Andrea flees for the prison, and the Governor hunts her down personally, bringing her back to Woodbury and strapping her in the dentist's chair that he meant to use on Michonne. In the episode "This Sorrowful Life", Merle kidnaps Michonne at Rick's suggestion to turn her over to the Governor, but lets her go and instead lures walkers to the Governor's meeting place to ambush the Woodbury army. Then, the Governor maims, shoots, and kills Merle, leaving his body to reanimate as a walker, which Daryl later kills, out of pure anger, remorse, and pain.

text: In the season finale "Welcome to the Tombs", the Governor brutally beats Milton up after learning that he burned the walkers that the Governor had been corralling; he then orders him to kill Andrea. Milton tries in vain to kill the Governor, but the Governor stabs him and locks him in with Andrea, so that Milton will reanimate and kill Andrea. The Governor then leads his army into the prison to kill Rick's entire group, but Tyreese and Sasha wants nothing to do with it, and stay behind at Woodbury. Rick and the others have set a trap at the prison, expecting the Woodbury army's arrival. Ambushed and outgunned by Maggie and Glenn, the Governor's army flees the prison in terror. The Governor stops the fast-fleeing convoy, and, in response to their protests against returning to the prison, he opens fire and slaughters them all, sparing only Martinez and Shumpert, his two primary henchmen. Only Karen escapes his rampage (by playing dead under a corpse). The Governor, Martinez, and Shumpert are last seen driving off as Rick and Tyreese bring everyone from Woodbury to the prison, and leave Woodbury to be overrun.

text: Season 4[edit]

text: "Live Bait" reveals that, just after massacring his own people, the Governor sets up camp with Martinez and Shumpert. Martinez and Shumpert abandon him after he does nothing to protect himself from a walker, believing him to have lost his nerve. The next day the Governor drives back to Woodbury, which is overrun with walkers, and burns down the entire town. After several months alone, intentionally trying to let the walkers kill him, he finally collapses on the street. He looks up to see a young girl, about the same age as Penny, in the window of a nearby apartment building; he pulls himself back to his feet and investigates. He finds the Chambler family residing inside, consisting of sisters Lilly and Tara, their father David, and Lilly's daughter Meghan. Lilly and Tara initially hold the Governor at gunpoint, but they later confiscate his pistol and allow him to stay in an apartment across the hallway. After hearing about how the Governor has survived the last few months, they ask him his name. He tells them that it is "Brian Heriot", a name he saw painted on the side of a barn while staggering aimlessly through the countryside. He runs some errands for the family, and risks his life to get David two oxygen tanks from a walker-infested nursing home. When David dies and reanimates, the Governor saves the rest of the family by bashing in David's head with one of the oxygen tanks. After he buries David, he burns his photo of his wife and Penny. That night, he goes to the Chamblers to say goodbye, but Lilly insists that he stay. He and Lilly become lovers, and he saves Meghan when she falls into a pit of walkers, killing them with his bare hands. Moments later, he encounters Martinez and his group.

text: In the episode "Dead Weight", Martinez takes in the Governor, accepting his new facade as "Brian", and the girls and lets them join their camp. Among the camp are brothers Pete and Mitch Dolgen, who have a working tank. When it becomes clear that Martinez may not be able to keep them safe, the Governor kills him by throwing him into a pit of walkers. Pete takes command, but the Governor later kills him as well after he displays an inability to kill a group of other survivors to take their belongings. The Governor plans to rally the camp and use the tank in a second attack on the prison.

text: In the mid-season finale "Too Far Gone", the Governor encounters Michonne and Hershel Greene, and takes them hostage, intending to use them as leverage over Rick. The Governor then rallies the camp to take over the prison. Upon arriving at the prison with his army and tank, the Governor tells Rick that he is going to give their group a chance to leave without anyone getting killed. Rick says that they can co-exist peacefully, but the Governor calls him a liar and beheads Hershel. During the ensuing gunfight, Lilly arrives in time to see him murder Hershel. She is carrying Meghan, who has been bitten by a walker. He dispassionately shoots Meghan to prevent her from becoming a walker before ordering his people to kill everyone in the prison. The Governor uses the tank to roll over the fences and goes into the fight himself, only to be tackled by Rick. The two of them fight, and the Governor eventually pins Rick and brutally beats him before beginning to choke him to death. At that moment, Michonne stabs the Governor and leaves him to die. Lilly then shoots him in the head, killing him.

text: Season 5[edit]

text: In the mid-season premiere "What Happened and What's Going On", the Governor appears, along with Beth Greene, Bob Stookey, Martin, and Lizzie and Mika Samuels, during Tyreese's hallucinations after Tyreese is bitten by a walker. While Beth, Bob, and the girls comfort Tyreese, the Governor taunts him about his past actions and inability to do what is "necessary". The Governor, especially, criticizes Tyreese's choices, particularly in forgiving Carol for murdering Karen. The Governor reminds Tyreese that he promised to do what it took to earn his keep, but he failed to adapt. However, Tyreese stands up and confronts him. However The Governor "pushes" Tyreese to the ground while still pressing his point. Tyreese ultimately dies in peace, and the vision of the Governor fades away.

text: Casting and development[edit]

text: On television, the character is portrayed by British actor David Morrissey. Glen Mazzara, when asked about the character's direction for season 3 of the show, described The Governor as a narcissist, who sees himself as the future savior of civilization and is willing to resort to the most extreme of measures to achieve his ultimate goal.[8]

text: Despite making few appearances, The Governor's daughter, Penny, plays a key role in his mentality and actions. He secretly cares for the undead Penny in his apartment, as revealed in the episode "Say the Word", brushing her hair and singing to her, and tells Michonne that she does not need to suffer, implying that he believes Penny is still alive and is "under the grip of a terrible, terrible illness".[9]

text: The Governor's eye patch in the television series was placed on the opposite side from that of his comic book counterpart.

text: Reception[edit]

text: In 2009, the Governor was ranked as IGN's 86th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time[1] and was ranked #28 on TV Guide's list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time. David Morrissey has been well received for his performance as the Governor, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 39th Saturn Awards.