Is the Chinese word yamen commonly known to...

I am a English speaking American.

I have never heard the word ¨yamen¨ before today.

Furthermore, my guess is that our equilivant of a "country magistrate" might be "District Justice".

forgot to mention it's historical
Sorry i forgot to mention yamen was a historical word used in imperial days only, tho a modern chinese can also say it in a very slangy manner to mean a particular government office or the government in general.

American Heritage carries the word and this gives me the impression that it is well-established enough to be safely used with American readers. Or perhaps it once was a century ago. Anyhow i will be careful with it and like words.

Noddy, in imperial China, a county magistrate's authority combines both executive and judicial powers (as did that of the province governor), so a county magistrate is more than a local judge.

thank you for your help.

I never heard the word Yamen before either. It wouldn't mean anything to the average British person.

It can be misleading to translate the names of one country's organisations and institutions using the nearest equivalent in another language, because very often these institutions are not truly equivalent. If you translate "yamen" as "county magistrate's office" you will mislead American readers into assuming that it is like an American county magistrate's office; whereas, as you yourself have pointed out, there are significant differences.

The best solution is to use the word "yamen", but to explain exactly what a "yamen" is when you first introduce the word. Don't assume that all your readers will know.

I agree with ebrown and Steve; this word will not be familiar to many English-speaking people - and even those who have heard the word may very well be vague about the exact powers and functions of a yamen, so a clear explanation would be useful for them too.

Thank you, Steve.
syntinen, thanks for the advice. I'll add an explanatory clause if I decide to keep the word at all.

you're welcome xanaduer

when is the book published?

I am glad you are interested, Steve. I am writing for the blog I am going to start.