Sir Joseph West Ridgeway | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 18th Governor of British Ceylon | |
| In office 10 February 1896 – 19 November 1903 | |
| Monarchs | Victoria, Edward VII |
| Preceded by | Edward Noël Walker (Acting governor) |
| Succeeded by | Sir Everard im Thurn (Acting governor) |
| 11th Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man | |
| In office 1893–1895 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Sir Spencer Walpole |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Henniker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph West Ridgeway 16 May 1844 High Roding, Essex, England |
| Died | 16 April 1930 (aged 85) London, England |
| Spouse | Carolina Ellen "Lina" Bewicke |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Bengal Infantry |
| Years of service | 1860–1869 |
| Rank | Colonel |
Sir Joseph West Ridgeway, GCB, GCMG, KCSI, PC (Ire) (16 May 1844 – 16 April 1930) was a British civil servant and colonial governor. He was known as "Sir West Ridgeway". He was involved in the sodomy and child molestation charges against Hector Archibald MacDonald, commander of British forces in Ceylon. Ridgeway ordered MacDonald's return to London, careful to prevent the huge scandal that was to be expected: "Some, in fact most of his victims ... are the sons of the most respected men in the colony, British as well as locals," he wrote, noting that he was able to convince the local press to hold still so "no more dirt comes to light".