A magistrate’s court was established in the district of Wodehouse on 5 January 1871. The new district on the north eastern border of the Colony was formed of parts of the divisions of Aliwal North, Albert and Queenstown (Government Gazette No 4298, 6 January 1871, Proclamation No 1, 5 January 1871). The seat of the magistracy was at Dordrecht.
A Magistrate’s Court was established at Elliotdale on 1 February 1877 (PJ Venter: Government Departments of the Cape of Good Hope 1806 – 1910, p 292).
The Magistrate of Elliotdale, Mr E Wilkens, was also appointed Native Commissioner by Government Notice No 1865 of 1928 published in Government Gazette No 1734 dated 26 October 1928.
Mr WJ Davidson, the Resident Magistrate, was appointed Native Commissioner by Government Notice No 1865 of 1928 published in Government Gazette No 1734 dated 26 October 1928.
WP Leary was appointed Resident Magistrate for the District of Umsikaba by Government Notice No 946 dated September 1894. The seat of the magistrate was presumably at Flagstaff, for, by Government Notice 995 dated October 1895 the seat of the Magistrate of Umsikaba was removed from Flagstaff to Lusikisiki. JAP Galdwin was appointed “Assistant Resident Magistrate for the District of Umsikaba to hold a court at Flagstaff in the said district,” by Government Notice 996 dated October 1895.
By Government Notice No 1865 of 26 October 1928, Government Gazette No 1734, the magistrate of Flagstaff, Mr FC Pinketon, was also appointed as Bantu Affairs Commissioner.
The first form of administration in the area, which later constituted the Graaff-Reinet district, was an official appointed in October 1780 as "Commandant of the Lands in the East".
After numerous petitions to the Council of Policy a magistrate was eventually appointed for the Graaff-Reinet district on 13 December 1785.
The magistrate acted as chairman of the Slave Office, Clerk of the Peace, representative of the Orphan Chamber, chairman of the matrimonial court, etc.
An assistant magistrate’s court was established at Indwe on 27 June 1902 (Government Gazette No 8453 dated 27 June 1902, Government Notice No 445 of 1902). A magistrate’s court was established on 1 January 1918 (Government Gazette No 858 dated 1 January 1918, Government Notice No 1 of 1918).
A court of native commissioner for Indwe was established on 1 October 1937 (Government Gazette No 2467 dated 24 September 1937, Proclamation No 184 dated 9 September 1937).
The division of Port Elizabeth was subdivided into six districts for Divisional Council purposes by means of a Proclamation dated 7 July 1856, published in the Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 2733, and in terms of the provisions of Act No 5 of 1855.
The Divisional Council of Dias was established on 1 January 1978 following the amalgamation of the former Divisional Councils of Port Elizabeth, Alexandria and Bathurst (W Albertyn: Official South African Municipal Yearbook, 1979, p 135).
A Magistrate’s court was established at Jansenville on 7 September 1874 (Government Gazette No 4692 dated 8 September 1874, Proclamation No 62, dated 7 September 1874).
