The first full-length account of the establishment of the County Court in England and Wales in 1846 and its work, through to its reconstruction in 1971. It traces its development from being largely a debt collection agency to its far wider jurisdiction as the main forum for civil disputes today. Drawing on a wide range of sources, the author describes its organisation and officers and discusses the roles of lawyers and lay persons. Given the current controversy over access to justice, this is a timely new history.