104 



THE PREDECESSORS OF THE 



at Fort William, to consist of a Chief Justice and three 69 

 other J udges, being Barristers in England or Ireland of not 

 less than five years standing, to be named from time to time 

 by His Majesty, his heirs and successors ; and it was enacted 

 that upon the publication of the new Charter, the Charter of 

 1753, so far as it related to the establishment of the Mayor's 

 Court in Calcutta should cease, determine, and be absolutely 

 void, but should in all other respects, and as for and concern- 

 ing all or any other of the Company's principal Presidencies 

 or Settlements, continue, be, and remain in full force and 

 virtue. 



The Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in 

 Bengal was accordingly established by Royal Charter dated 

 the 26th March 1774 ; Elijah Impey, of Lincoln's Inn, 

 Esquire, being thereby appointed the first Chief J ustice, and 

 Robert Chambers, of the Middle Temple, Stephen Cassar 

 Le Maistre of the Inner Temple, and John Hyde of Lincoln's 

 Inn, Esquires, the first Puisne Justices. The jurisdiction of 

 the Court was more clearly declared and defined a few years 

 afterwards by the Statute 21 Geo. Ill, c. 70. 



The Mayor's Court at Madras and Bombay continued in 

 existence without any material alteration till 1797 ; but 

 meantime a great change was made in the constitution of the 

 East India Company, and a considerable addition was made 

 to their territorial possessions in Madras ; the Rajah of Tan j ore 

 having granted to them, by a Sunnud dated the 17th June 

 1778, a jaghire in the vicinity of Negapatam, consisting of 

 277 villages or small towns, including the town and seaport 

 of Nagore ; and the districts of Calicut, Paulghautcherry, 

 Dindigul, Salem and Baramahal having been ceded to the 

 Company by the treaty of peace concluded with Tippoo 

 Sultan on the 18th March 1792. Negapatam, which was 



69 Reduced to two "by 37 Geo. Ill, c. 142, s. I. 



