The Village Management Board of Vredendal was established on 27 October 1944 in terms of Proclamation No 128, 1944 under provision of Ordinance No 10, 1921. (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 2134, 10 November 1944).
In terms of Proclamation No 220 dated 15 November 1962 under provision of Ordinance No 19, 1951 the Village Management Board of Vredendal was declared a Municipality with effect from 1 March 1963 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette, No 3161, 23 November 1962).
According to a declaration signed by the Town Clerk on 5 November 1987, a large proportion of archives of the Village Management Board have not remained preserved.
On 1 September 1855 the district of Bredasdorp was created and JH Hofmeyr appointed Resident Magistrate for the said district (Government Gazette No 2645 dated 7 September 1855). The magistrate held periodical courts at Napier and acted as gaoler, chief constable, deputy registrar of births and deaths and chairman of the liquor licensing court.
The Magistrate’s Office at Bredasdorp and all the records which were housed there at the time were destroyed by fire in December 1941 (File No K9/6/B8: Letter dated 14 October 1960 addressed to the Senior Archivist, Cape Town by the Magistrate, Bredasdorp). This presumably accounts for the gaps between 1902 – 1941 in the various series of archives.
By Proclamation dated 28 November 1811 (Government Gazette No 276), IH Frouenfelder was appointed First Adjunct Landdrost of Swellendam with his residence at Zwarteberg’s Baths. The position of Adjunct Landdrost was abolished on 21 June 1822 (PJ Venter: Government Departments of the Cape of Good Hope).
A Special Justice of the Peace was appointed at Calitzdorp as from 28 November 1876 (Government Notice No 85, Government Gazette No 5635 dated 28 November 1876). An Assistant Resident Magistrate was appointed at Calitzdorp in place of the Special Justice of the Peace as from 25 January 1900 (Government Notice No 62, Government Gazette No 8201 of 26 January 1900). The Court opened on 19 March 1900 (Government Notice No 206 of 21 March 1900, Government Gazette No 8217 of 23 March 1900).
Clanwilliam, formerly known as Jan Disselsvlei, formed part of the district of Stellenbosch until 1808 when it was annexed to the newly established district of Tulbagh. It then also became a sub-drosdy. The assistant magistrate's seat of office was on the loan farm Jan Disselsvlei, specially bought for this purpose. This sub-drosdy was renamed Clanwilliam in January 1814. On 1 January 1828 a resident magistrate was appointed to the Clanwilliam district.
The magistrate's office was burnt down during the Anglo-Boer War and most of the records prior to 1902 were destroyed.
The magistrate held periodical courts at Citrusdal, Lamberts Bay, Van Puttensvlei and Vanrhynsdorp.
An assistant resident magistrate was appointed at Durbanville on 31 August 1899. Prior to his appointment and since November 1872, Durbanville fell under the jurisdiction of Cape Town with the magistrate of Wynberg holding a periodical court at Durbanville. In terms of Act 10 of 1876 a special justice of the peace was appointed for the Durbanville area. This office was abolished when the previous periodical court was again established on 19 July 1888. The Magistrate, Cape Town took over the jurisdiction of Durbanville on 11 November and held a periodical court there until a magistrate was appointed at Durbanville in 1899.
The magistrate held a periodical court at Bellville from 1916 - 1926.
A "Kollege" of Landdros and Heemraden was established at George on 23 April 1811.
The magistrate acted as clerk of the peace, deputy administrator, visiting magistrate to the George Convict Station, district commandant during the Anglo-Boer War, deputy registrar of births and deaths, conservator of crown forests, distributor of stamps, etc.
Most of the documents dated before 25 June 1844 were destroyed by fire.
A Special Justice of the Peace was appointed at Hermanus on 1 March 1946 (Government Gazette No 3612 of 1 March 1946, Government Notice No 472 of 1946). On 1 July 1947 the court of the Special Justice of the Peace as well as the periodical court held by the magistrate of Caledon were abolished and a magistrate’s court was established at Hermanus (Government Gazette No 3838 dated 27 June 1947, Government Notice No 1297).
A court of the Resident Magistrate, to be presided over by an Assistant Resident Magistrate was established at Hopefield in the District of Malmesbury on 8 October 1896 (Government Gazette No 7856, dated 6 October 1896, Government Notice No 957).
The Robertson School Board was established on 9 September 1905 in terms of Act No 35 of 1905 (Government Gazette No 8787, 12 September 1905, Proclamation No 293, 9 September 1905). The first meeting of the Board was held on 12 December 1905 (Government Gazette No 8810, 1 December 1905, Government Notice No 1267, 29 November 1905).
The Board was dissolved on 30 June 1991 (Government Gazette No 13075, 22 March 1991, Government Notice No 549).
