Why was Banjul called Bathurst during the colonial period?

Banjul was known as Bathurst during the colonial period to honor Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst, who served as the British colonial secretary at the time the settlement was established.1

In 1816, the British Colonial Office directed Captain Alexander Grant to create a military post at the mouth of the Gambia River to suppress the slave trade and provide a trade outlet for merchants. Grant selected the site on what was then called Banjul Island, which he renamed St. Mary’s, and named the new town Bathurst in recognition of the Earl. The city retained this name until 1973, when it was officially changed to Banjul.123