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| Old Court House Tank Square,Calcutta puronokolkata.com |
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| The first Mayor’s Court in Calcutta in1728. puronokolkata.com |
Above image: The first Mayor’s Court was established in the Presidency Town of Calcutta in1728.Coloured etching with aquatint of the Old Court House and Writers Buildings in Calcutta by Thomas Daniell (1749-1840) no. 2 of his ‘Views of Calcutta’ published in 1786. This view is taken from the north side of Tank Square and looks towards the old Fort.Actually, the first Mayor’s Court came up in1728 at the Ambassador House owned by the British East India Company.
The establishment of the first Mayor's Court in Calcutta in 1728 marked a significant milestone in the evolution of the judicial system in British India. Calcutta, then emerging as the principal settlement of the British East India Company, would eventually become one of the most important administrative and commercial centers of the British Empire. The Mayor's Court represented one of the earliest attempts to introduce a formal system of civil justice in India based on English legal principles.
The origins of the court can be traced to the Royal Charter of 1726 issued by King George I of England. Under this charter, municipal corporations were established in the Presidency towns of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay. On September 4, 1726, the first Corporation of Calcutta was formed, consisting of a Mayor and nine Aldermen. Besides municipal responsibilities, the corporation was entrusted with judicial functions through the Mayor's Court.
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| Calcutta High Court istampgallery.com |
Above image: 100th Anniversary (1862-1962) of the Calcutta High Court; issued on Jul 1, 1962; denomination : 15 Naya Paisa............
The first Mayor's Court began functioning in 1728 at the Ambassador House belonging to the East India Company within Fort William. It was presided over by Henry Liol, the first Mayor. The court primarily dealt with civil disputes involving British subjects and other residents of the settlement. The site where the original Court House stood was located at the corner of Lalbazar and Mission Row, a place later occupied by the building of Martin Burn & Company, a prominent engineering and construction firm of colonial India.
In 1732, the court was shifted to the premises of the Charity School, also known as the Free School. Subsequently, a more substantial structure known as the Old Court House was erected in 1762 by Mr. Bourchier. This elegant two-storied building, adorned with impressive columns and urn-topped balustrades, stood near the present site of St. Andrew's Church and adjacent to the famous Writers' Building.
The Old Court House soon evolved into a multipurpose civic center. Besides housing judicial proceedings, it accommodated the Town Hall, Exchange Office, Post Office, Quarter Sessions Office, Assembly Rooms, and various public offices. Additional rooms, verandas, and a grand dancing saloon were added over time. During the eighteenth century, when Calcutta lacked dedicated public buildings, the Old Court House became the social and cultural heart of the European community. Public entertainments, assembly balls, civic meetings, and official receptions were regularly held there.
However, by the closing years of the century, social divisions within the European community and declining financial support led to the building's deterioration. By 1792, the structure had become unsafe, and the once-famous landmark was demolished, bringing an end to a remarkable chapter in Calcutta's early history.
Calcutta itself played a pivotal role in British India. In 1772, Governor-General Warren Hastings made it the capital of British India. The city was also home to India's first newspaper, the Hickey's Bengal Gazette, which chronicled the social and political life of the colonial era. Although Job Charnock is traditionally regarded as the founder of Calcutta, a 2003 judgment of the Calcutta High Court observed that the city's origins predated both British and Mughal rule.
The Mayor's Court of 1728 thus stands as a pioneering institution in India's legal history, laying the foundation for the modern judicial system that would gradually develop across the country during the colonial period.
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2015/11/first-mayors-court-calcutta-british.html
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/mayors-court-in-bombay-madras-calcutta/239016548
http://puronokolkata.com/category/gallery/establishments/legal-establishments/courts
K. N. Jayaraman (Author: navrangindia.blogspot.com)
