The Old Court House, Bromley

Before the 20th Century

Written by Pam Preedy.

Today the Old Court Hosue is a thriving community centre under threat. For those not familiar, as I was not, Community House can be found from the WIdmore Road entrance to Boots. Cross over the main roads and follow the little road walking towards the old fire station. At the end, turn left and Community House is on your left. The history of the Old Court House has had a number of changes, both in location and the buildings and uses.

Various courts were held in Bromley and the cases reported in the Bromley and District Tomes, I have picked newspaper reports of the cases tried in January 1915. At the lowest level, we have Bromley Police Court where fairly trivial, open and shut cases were tried. One man was charged and fined for drunkenness, and another felon accused of stealing four fowl and two rabbits valued at 40s (£2). He was held at Maidstone.

A Second Court was held in Bromley. Here someone was charged for using bad language. They were small petty crimes. The Bromley Court was a magistrate’s court that could hear disputes between a plaintiff and defendant. The plaintiff would call witnesses to testify to the facts and present evidence such as papers, photographs or other documents. The defendant would cross-examine the plaintiff’s witnesses to test their evidence. The defendant would then present his or her own evidence, including witnesses and then the judge would give his verdict on who was most probably in the right. Finally, there was the Coroner’s Court which gave judgement in cases of death.

Traditionally, local courts were held wherever there was a suitable room. In the 1830s the White Hart Hotel was partly rebuilt and extended to make way for the growing coach and post chaise traffic. In addition, a spacious assembly room became the community hub. It was a court house used for magistrates courts in Petty Sessions and the County Court and also having auctions, hosting County Balls and the headquarters of the Voluntary Fire Brigade.

It seems that there had been an earlier court, housed on the site of Medhursts. On December 7th, 1956, the Mercury reported that during demolition work behind what was to be Medhurst’s (now Primark), they had discovered the remains of the Old Magistrates Court within the Georgian house at 192 Chruch Road.

“…going down the narrow, low ceilinged stairway to the cells beneath the ground. Dank and musty, they have no light or ventilation except for one hole made in the roof during the last war when they were used as shelters.

“Divided into two parts, they have low curved ceilings with clammy, whitewashed ceilings and brick walls. The first half is barely wide enough for a man to walk along and has a rough stone seat the length of one wall where apparently the victims had to wait.

“This widens out into a square room with a stone bunk wide enough to lie on and a couple fo rough cupboards high up on one wall.”

It has taken a lot of effort to find the real location of this building, First of all, there had been major road changes. There are discrepancies in the report and what we now know. Baxter’s itinerary has been most helpful; he was born in 1861 and wrote of all the people who he knew had lived in the homes in the High Street. Typical of journalists, ‘facts’ given are often wrong.

The Court House we are seeking was probably 53 High Street,. He records that “…in 1850 R B and R Latters’ office and here the magistrate met. Prisoners ranged up outside along the railings and questioned by them before going in.” Number 192 (today) was probably numbered as 56 in the itinerary and was inhabited by a doctor’s surgery.

Originally published in Life in Bromley magazine (Issue 25, March 2024)

** Special thanks to Simon Finch at Bromley Historic Collections (2nd Floor of Bromley Central Library) **