A Magistrate’s Court was established at Glen Grey as from 1 May 1879 (Government Gazette No 5896 dated 25 March 1879, Proclamation No 43 dated 24 March 1879). According to Government Notice No 1001 dated 20 September 1880 the seat of the magistracy was transferred to Cacadu and approved of the latter place being called Lady Frere (Government Gazette No 6060 dated 21 September 1880). Before the establishment of the magistracy an officer styled as the Clerk in Charge was stationed at Glen Grey. For practical reasons the documents created by this officer have been included in this inventory.
The Magistrate of Lady Frere was also appointed Native Commissioner by Government Notice No 1865 of 1928, published in Government Gazette No 1734 dated 26 October 1928.
A Special Justice of the Peace was appointed at Laingsburg on 1 November 1890 (Government Gazette No 7247 dated 5 December 1890, Proclamation No 283 dated 24 November 1890). The court of the Special Justice of the Peace was abolished as from 1 September 1899 (Government Gazette No 8161 dated 8 September 1899, Proclamation No 227 dated 4 September 1899). As from 1 September 1899 TJB Scotland was appointed Assistant Magistrate for the district of Prince Albert at Laingsburg (Government Gazette No 8159 dated 1 September 1899, Government Notice No 708 dated 31 August 1899).
A Magistrate’s Court was established at Laingsburg on 15 August 1905 (Government Gazette No 8779 dated 15 August 1905, Proclamation 264, dated 12 August 1905).
The Graaff-Reinet Municipality was created by virtue of a proclamation dated 28 August 1845, published in Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 2071 of 29 August 1845. The first ordinary meeting of the Commissioners took place on 18 September 1845. In January 1969 the Municipality of Graaff-Reinet amalgamated with the nearby Municipality of Adendorp.
In 1994 Graaff-Reinet became part of the Eastern Cape Province. It forms part of the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, one of seven local municipalities that falls under the Sarah Baartman District Municipality (formerly Cacadu District Municipality).
The establishment of the office of Resident Magistrate at East London commenced when Colonel GH MacKinnon, Chief Commissioner of British Kaffraria, was appointed Justice of the Peace for the Port of East London and the district thereof on 3 March 1848.
In a letter dated 9 March 1848 the Colonial Secretary, John Montagu, informed MacKinnon as to the reasons for making the appointment: “His Excellency’s chief object in appointing you to this office, is to enable you to try and adjudicate cases of infringement of (the Spirit and Wine) Ordinance …” The Colonial Secretary informed MacKinnon that he would exercise the same powers as if he had been appointed Resident Magistrate without the inconvenience of being tied down to certain fixed court days.
However, Colonel MacKinnon’s presence was continually required at Kin William’s Town and he accordingly requested that a resident Justice of the Peace be appointed for East London. MacKinnon’s request was sympathetically received and Major Smith, the officer commanding Fort Glamorgan, was appointed to the office. Major Smith’s tenure in office was of short duration, and on 20 November 1848 the Colonial Secretary informed Captain Edward Rooper that he had been appointed resident Justice of the Peace in the place of Major Smith who had left East London. On 1 January 1849 Rooper was appointed Resident Magistrate.
In 1856 the magistracy was included as part of the separate dependency of British Kaffraria. British Kaffraria had been declared a separate Dependency of the Crown on 23 December 1847. The port of East London, however, was annexed as part of the Cape Colony by proclamation dated 14 January 1848. The Port was only restored to British Kaffraria on 9 July 1859. There appears to be some doubt therefore as to validity of the inclusion of the East London Magistracy as part of British Kaffraria in 1856.
The East London Magistracy remained part of the independent Colony of British Kaffraria until March 1865 when the British Kaffraria Act was passed. In terms of this Act British Kaffraria was annexed to the Cape Colony.
In December 1865 M Jennings was appointed Civil Commissioner and Resident Magistrate for East London.
A Magistrate’s Court was established at Nqamakwe on 1 October 1878 (PJ Venter: Government Departments of the Cape of Good Hope 1806 – 1890, p 294).
On 26 October 1928 the Magistrate of Nqamakwe was also appointed as Native Commissioner (Government Gazette No 1734, dated 26 October 1928, Government Notice No 1865, dated 26 October 1928). The designation was later changed to Bantu Affairs Commissioner.
After the attainment of self-government by the Transkei, all records of government offices subsequent to 1 November 1963 were deposited in the Transkeian Archives Depot in Umtata (now Mthatha Archives Repository)
WH Read was appointed magistrate with Jojo, chief of the Xesibi tribe in August 1878 at Endambeni, later Mount Ayliff (General Directory of Cape of Good Hope, 1880, page 434). A court of the Resident Magistrate was established for the district of Mount Ayliff in October 1886 (Government Gazette no 6791 dated 26 October 1886, Proclamation no 174 dated 25 October 1886). For practical reasons the documents pertaining to the period prior to the establishment of a magistrate’s court for the district of Mount Ayliff are kept with this archives.
The Magistrate was also appointed as Native Commissioner as from 1 October 1928 (Government Gazette no 1734 dated 26 October 1928, Government Notice no 1865 dated 26 October 1928).
