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.
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.
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.
A periodical court, to be held by the magistrate of Colesberg, was established at Hanover on 28 December 1857. This periodical court was abolished on 13 November 1876 when a magistrate was appointed for the district of Hanover. For the period up to December 1876 when the Magistrate of Colesberg tried cases in the Periodical Court at Hanover see 1/CBG D1/1/1 – 2/2/1 in the Colesberg Magistrate’s group.
The magistrate acted as deputy registrar of births and deaths, chairman of the water and liquor licensing courts and as controller of the Cape Mounted Police.
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).
