See also:

• COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see COUNT)

COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from See also:

• LAT

Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see See also:

• COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

COUNT)  , in its most usual sense the name given to certain important administrative divisions in the See also:

• UNITED

United See also:

• KINGDOM

Kingdom, the See also:

• BRITISH

British dominions beyond the seas, and the United States of See also:

• AMERICA

America . The word was first introduced after the See also:

• NORMAN
• NORMAN, SIR HENRY WYLIE (1826-1904)

Norman See also:

• CONQUEST

Conquest as the See also:

• EQUIVALENT

equivalent of the old See also:

• ENGLISH

English " See also:

• SHIRE

shire," which has survived as its synonym, though occasionally also applied to divisions smaller than counties, e.g . Norhamshire, Hexhamshire and Hallamshire . The word " See also:

• COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see COUNT)

county " is also sometimes used, alternatively with " countship," to translate See also:

• FOREIGN

foreign words, e.g. the See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French centre and the See also:

• GERMAN
• GERMAN, DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN

German Grafschaft, which connote the territorial.See also:

• JURISDICTION
• JURISDICTION, CRIMINAL LAW, DIVORCE

jurisdiction of a See also:

• COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

count (q.v.) . The See also:

• PRESENT

present See also:

• ARTICLE (from Lat. articulus, a joint)

article is confined to a See also:

• SKETCH (directly adapted from Dutch schets, which was taken from Ital. schizzo, a rough draft, Lat. schedium, something hastily made, Gr. oxE&os, sudden, off-hand, axeb6v, near by; Ger. Skizze and Fr. esquisse are from the same source)

sketch of the origin and development of Englishcounties, which have served in a greater or less degree as the See also:

• MODEL (0. Fr. modelle, mod. modele; It. modello, pattern, mould; from Lat. modus, measure, standard)

model for the county organizations in the various countries of the English-speaking See also:

• WORLD

world which are described under their proper headings . About one-third of the English counties represent See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient kingdoms, sub-kingdoms or tribal divisions, such as See also:

• KENT
• KENT, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• KENT, JAMES (1763-1847)
• KENT, WILLIAM (1685-1748)

Kent, See also:

• SUSSEX
• SUSSEX, EARLS OF
• SUSSEX, KINGDOM OF (SO Seaxe, i.e. the South Saxons)
• SUSSEX, THOMAS RADCLYFFE [or RATCLYFFE], 3RD EARL OF (c. 1525-1583)

Sussex, See also:

• NORFOLK
• NORFOLK, EARLS AND DUKES OF

Norfolk, See also:

• DEVON, EARLS OF

Devon; but most of the remaining counties take their names from some important See also:

• TOWN

town within their respective boundaries . The counties to the See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south of the See also:

• THAMES

Thames (except See also:

• CORNWALL

Cornwall) already existed in the See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time of See also:

• ALFRED

Alfred, but those of the midlands seem to have been created during the reign of See also:

• EDWARD

Edward the See also:

• ELDER (0. Eng. ellarn; Ger. Holunder; Fr. sureau)
• ELDER (Gr. 1rpev(3iTepos)

Elder (901–925) and to have been artificially bounded areas lying around some stronghold which became a centre of See also:

• CIVIL

civil and military See also:

• ADMINISTRATION (Lat. administrare, to serve)

administration . There is See also:

• REASON (Lat. ratio, through French raison)

reason, however, for thinking that the counties of See also:

• BEDFORD

Bedford, See also:

• CAMBRIDGE
• CAMBRIDGE, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• CAMBRIDGE, RICHARD OWEN (1717-1802)

Cambridge, See also:

• HUNTINGDON
• HUNTINGDON, EARLS OF
• HUNTINGDON, SELINA HASTINGS, COUNTESS OF (1707—1791)

Huntingdon and See also:

• NORTHAMPTON
• NORTHAMPTON, ASSIZE OF
• NORTHAMPTON, EARLS AND MARQUESSES OF

Northampton are of Danish origin . See also:

• NORTHUMBERLAND
• NORTHUMBERLAND, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• NORTHUMBERLAND, JOHN DUDLEY, VISCOUNT LISLE, EARL OF WARWICK
• NORTHUMBERLAND, JOHN NEVILLE, EARL OF (c. 1430-1471)

Northumberland, See also:

• CUMBERLAND
• CUMBERLAND, DUKES AND EARLS OF
• CUMBERLAND, RICHARD (1632-1718)
• CUMBERLAND, RICHARD (1732-1811)
• CUMBERLAND, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS

Cumberland and See also:

• WESTMORLAND
• WESTMORLAND, EARLS OF

Westmorland were not recognized as English counties until some time after the Norman Conquest, the last two definitely appearing as fiscal areas in 1177 . The origin of See also:

• RUTLAND
• RUTLAND, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• RUTLAND, JOHN JAMES ROBERT MANNERS, 7TH DUKE OF (1818-1906)

Rutland as a county is obscure, but it had its own See also:

• SHERIFF

sheriff in 1154 . In the See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period preceding the Norman Conquest two See also:

• OFFICERS

officers appear at the See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head of the county organization . These are the ealdorman or See also:

• EARL

earl, and the scirgerefa or sheriff .

The shires of Wessex appear each to have had an ealdorman, whose duties were to command its military forces, to preside over the county See also:

• ASSEMBLY, UNLAWFUL

assembly (scirgemot), to carry out the See also:

• LAWS

laws and to execute See also:

• JUSTICE (Lat. justitia)

justice . The name ealdorman gave way to that of earl, probably under Danish See also:

• INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence, in the first See also:

• HALF

half of the 11th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century, and it is probable that the See also:

• OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")

office of sheriff came into existence in the reign of Canute (1017-1035), when the See also:

• GREAT

great earldoms were formed and it was no longer possible for the earl to perform his various administrative duties in See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person in a See also:

• GROUP

group of counties . After the Norman Conquest the earl was occasionally appointed sheriff of his county, but in See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general his only See also:

• OFFICIAL (Late Lat. QJicialis, for class. Lat. apparitor, from officium, office, duty)

official connexion with it was to receive the third See also:

• PENNY (Mid. Eng. peni or peny, from O. Eng. form penig, earlier penning and pending; the word appears in Ger. Pfennig and Du. penning; it has been connected with Du. pand, Ger. Pfand, and Eng. " pawn,". the word meaning a little pledge or token, or with G
• PENNY, GIANFRANCESCO (1488–1528)

penny of its pleas, and the earldom ceased to be an office and became merely a See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title . In the 12th century the office of See also:

• CORONER

coroner was created, two or more of them being chosen in the county See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

court as vacancies occurred . In the same century vcrderers were first chosen in the same manner for the purpose of holding inquisitions on vert and See also:

• VENISON (pronounced venzon)

venison in those counties which contained royal forests . It was the business of the sheriff (vicecomes) as the See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king's representative to serve and return all writs, to See also:

• LEVY (Fr. levee, from lever, Lat. levare, to lift, raise)
• LEVY, AMY (1861–1889)
• LEVY, AUGUSTE MICHEL (1844– )

levy distresses on the king's behalf, to execute all royal precepts and to collect the king's See also:

• REVENUE
• REVENUE (0. Fr. revenu, from revenir, to return)

revenue . In this See also:

• WORK

work he was assisted by a large See also:

• STAFF (O. Eng. staef, cf. Du. staf, Ger. Stab, &c.; Icel. stafr meant also a written letter, and O. Eng. stafas, the letters of the alphabet; " stave," one of the thin pieces of wood of which a cask is made, is a doublet)

staff of clerks and bailiffs who were directly responsible to him and not to the king . The sheriff also commanded the armed forces of the See also:

• CROWN

crown within his county, and either in person or by See also:

• DEPUTY (through the Fr. from a Late Lat. use of deputare, to cut off, allot; putare having the original sense of to trim, prune)

deputy presided over the county court which was now held monthly in most counties . In 1300 it was enacted that the sheriffs might be chosen by the county, except in See also:

• WORCESTERSHIRE

Worcestershire, Cornwall, Rutland, Westmorland and See also:

• LANCASHIRE

Lancashire, where there were then sheriffs in See also:

• FEE

fee, that is, sheriffs who held their offices hereditarily by royal See also:

• GRANT (from A.-Fr. graunter, O. Fr. greanter for creanter, popular Lat. creantare, for credentare, to entrust, Lat. credere, to believe, trust)
• GRANT, ANNE (1755-1838)
• GRANT, CHARLES (1746-1823)
• GRANT, GEORGE MONRO (1835–1902)
• GRANT, JAMES (1822–1887)
• GRANT, JAMES AUGUSTUS (1827–1892)
• GRANT, ROBERT (1814-1892)
• GRANT, SIR ALEXANDER
• GRANT, SIR FRANCIS (1803-1878)
• GRANT, SIR JAMES HOPE (1808–1895)
• GRANT, SIR PATRICK (1804-1895)
• GRANT, U
• GRANT, ULYSSES SIMPSON (1822-1885)

grant . The elective arrangement was of no See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long duration, and it was finally decided in 1340 that the sheriffs should be appointed by the See also:

• CHANCELLOR (M. Eng. and Anglo-Fr. canceler, chanceler, Fr. chancelier, Lat. cancellarius)

chancellor, the treasurer and the See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief See also:

• BARON
• BARON (1835-1895)
• BARON, MICHEL (1653—1729)

baron of the See also:

• EXCHEQUER

exchequer, but should hold office for one See also:

• YEAR

year only . The county was from an See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early period regarded as a community, and approached the king as a corporate See also:

• BODY

body, while in later times petitions were presented through the knights of the shire . It was also an organic whole for the purpose of the conservation of the See also:

• PEACE
• PEACE, BREACH OF THE

peace .

The See also:

• ASSESSMENT, (from Lat. assessare, to sit beside, to judge)

assessment of See also:

• TAXATION
• TAXATION (from " tax," derived, through the French, from Lat. taxare, to appraise, which again is connected with the same root as tangere, to touch)

taxation by commissioners appointed by the county court See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed in the 13th century into the See also:

• REPRESENTATION

representation of the county by two knights of the shire elected by the county court to serve in See also:

• PARLIAMENT (Anglo-Lat. parliamentum, Fr. parlement, from parler, to speak)

parliament, and this representation continued unaltered See also:

• SAVE, or SAVA (Ger. Sau; Hungarian Szdva; Lat. Savus)

save for a See also:

• SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short period during the See also:

• PROTECTORATE

Protectorate, until 1832, when many of the counties received a much larger representation, which was still further increased by later acts . The royal See also:

• CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

control over the county was strengthened from the 14th century onward by the See also:

• APPOINTMENT, POWER OF

appointment of justices of the peace . This See also:

• SYSTEM

system was further developed under the Tudors, while in the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle of the 16th century the military functions of the sheriff were handed over to a new officer, the See also:

• LORD
• LORD (O. Eng. hldford, i.e. hldfweard, the warder or keeper of bread, hlIf, loaf; the word is not represented in any other Teutonic language)
• LORD, JOHN (1810-1894)

lord-See also:

• LIEUTENANT

lieutenant, who is now more prominently associated with the headship of the county than is the sheriff . The lord-lieutenant now usually holds the older office of custos rotulorum, or keeper of the records of the county . The justices of the peace are appointed upon his nomination, and until lately he appointed the clerk of the peace . The latter appointment is now made by the See also:

• JOINT (through Fr. from Lat. junctum, jungere, to join)

joint See also:

• COMMITTEE (from commute, an Anglo-Fr. past participle of commettre, Lat. committere, to entrust; the modern Fr. equivalent comite is derived from the Eng.)

committee of See also:

• QUARTER (through Fr. from Lat. quartarius, fourth part)

quarter sessions and county See also:

• COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council . The Tudor system of See also:

• LOCAL

local See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government received little alteration until the See also:

• ESTABLISHMENT (0. Fr. establissement, Fr. etablissement, late Norm. Fr. establishement, from O. Fr. establir, Fr. etablir, Lat. stabilire, to make stable)

establishment of county See also:

• COUNCILS

councils by the Local Government See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

Act of 1888 handed over to an elected body many of the functions previously exercised by the nominated justices of the peace . For the purposes of this act the See also:

• RIDINGS

ridings of See also:

• YORKSHIRE

Yorkshire, the divisions of See also:

• LINCOLNSHIRE

Lincolnshire, See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

east and See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

west Sussex, east and west See also:

• SUFFOLK
• SUFFOLK, CHARLES BRANDON, 1ST DUKE OF (c. 1484–'545)
• SUFFOLK, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• SUFFOLK, THOMAS HOWARD, 1ST EARL OF (1561-1626)
• SUFFOLK, WILLIAM DE LA POLE

Suffolk, the See also:

• SOKE (0. Eng. soc, connected ultimately with secan, to seek)

soke of See also:

• PETERBOROUGH

Peterborough and the Isle of See also:

• ELY
• ELY, RICHARD THEODORE (1854— )

Ely are regarded as counties, so that there are now sixty administrative counties of See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England and See also:

• WALES (Cymru, Gwalia, Cambria)

Wales . Between 1373 and 1692 the crown granted to certain cities and boroughs the See also:

• PRIVILEGE

privilege of being counties of themselves . There were in 1835 eighteen of these counties corporate, See also:

• BRISTOL
• BRISTOL, EARLS AND MARQUESSES OF
• BRISTOL, GEORGE DIGBY, 2ND EARL OF1 (1612-1677)
• BRISTOL, JOHN DIGBY, 1ST EARL OF 6 (1580-1653)

Bristol, See also:

• CHESTER
• CHESTER, EARLS OF

Chester, See also:

• COVENTRY, SIR JOHN (d. 1682)
• COVENTRY, SIR WILLIAM (c. 1628-1686)
• COVENTRY, THOMAS COVENTRY, 1ST BARON (2578–1640)

Coventry, See also:

• GLOUCESTER
• GLOUCESTER (abbreviated as pronounced Glo'ster)
• GLOUCESTER, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• GLOUCESTER, GILBERT DE CLARE, EARL OF (1243-1295)
• GLOUCESTER, RICHARD DE CLARE, EARL OF (1222-1262)
• GLOUCESTER, ROBERT, EARL OF (d. 1147)
• GLOUCESTER, THOMAS OF WOODSTOCK, DUKE

Gloucester, See also:

• LINCOLN
• LINCOLN, ABRAHAM (1809-1865)
• LINCOLN, EARLS OF

Lincoln, See also:

• NORWICH
• NORWICH, GEORGE GORING, EARL OF (1583?-1663)

Norwich, See also:

• NOTTINGHAM
• NOTTINGHAM, CHARLES HOWARD, 1ST EARL OF1 (1536-1624)
• NOTTINGHAM, EARLS OF

Nottingham, See also:

• YORK
• YORK (HOUSE OF)
• YORK, EDMUND OF LANGLEY, DUKE OF (1341-1402)
• YORK, EDWARD
• YORK, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, DUKE OF (1763-1827)
• YORK, RICHARD, DUKE

York and See also:

• CARMARTHEN (Caerfyrddin)

Carmarthen, each of which had two sheriffs, and See also:

• CANTERBURY
• CANTERBURY, CHARLES

Canterbury, See also:

• EXETER
• EXETER, EARL, MARQUESS AND DUKE OF

Exeter, See also:

• HULL
• HULL (in O.Eng. hulu, from helan, to cover, cf. Ger. Hiille, covering)
• HULL (officially KINGSTON-UPON-HULL)
• HULL, ISAAC (1775-1843)

Hull, See also:

• LICHFIELD

Lichfield, See also:

• NEWCASTLE
• NEWCASTLE, DUKES OF

Newcastle-upon-See also:

• TYNE

Tyne, See also:

• POOLE
• POOLE, MATTHEW (1624-1699)
• POOLE, PAUL FALCONER (1806-1879)
• POOLE, REGINALD STUART (1832-1895)

Poole, See also:

• SOUTHAMPTON
• SOUTHAMPTON, EARL OF
• SOUTHAMPTON, HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, 3RD EARL OF (1J73—1624)

Southampton, See also:

• WORCESTER
• WORCESTER, EARLS AND MARQUESSES OF
• WORCESTER, JOHN TIPTOFT, EARL OF (1427—1470)
• WORCESTER, WILLIAM (c. 1415-c. 1482)

Worcester and See also:

• HAVERFORDWEST (Welsh Hwlfordd, the English name ,being perhaps a corruption of the Scandinavian Hafna-Fjord)

Haverfordwest, each of which had one sheriff . All these boroughs, with the exception of Carmarthen, Lichfield, Poole and Haverfordwest, which remain counties of themselves, and See also:

• FORTY

forty-seven others, were created county boroughs by the Local Government Act 1888, and are entirely dissociated from the control of a county council . The See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

City of See also:

• LONDON

London is also a county of itself, whose two sheriffs are also sheriffs of See also:

• MIDDLESEX
• MIDDLESEX, LIONEL CRANFIELD, 1ST EARL OF (1575-1645)

Middlesex, while for the purposes of the act of 1888 the See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house-covered See also:

• DISTRICT

district which extends for many See also:

• MILES, NELSON APPLETON (1839— )

miles See also:

• ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round the City constitutes a county .

The county has always been the unit for the organization of the See also:

• MILITIA (Fr. milice, Ger. Miliz, from Lat. miles, soldier, militia, military service)

militia, and from about 1782 certain regiments of the See also:

• REGULAR

regular See also:

• ARMY
• ARMY (from Fr. armee, Lat. armata)

army were associated with particular counties by territorial titles . The army See also:

• SCHEME (Lat. schema, Gr. oxfjya, figure, form, from the root axe, seen in exeiv, to have, hold, to be of such shape, form, &c.)

scheme of 1907–1908 provided for the formation of county associations under the See also:

• PRESIDENCY

presidency of the lords-lieutenant for the organization of the new territorial army . See Statutes of the See also:

• REALM

Realm; W . See also:

• STUBBS [STUBBES], PHILIP (c. 1555-c. 161o)
• STUBBS [STUnnE], JOHN
• STUBBS, WILLIAM (1825-1901)

Stubbs, Constitutional See also:

• HISTORY

History of England (1874–1878); F . W . See also:

• MAITLAND (MAITLAND OF LETHINGTON), WILLIAM
• MAITLAND, EAST
• MAITLAND, EDWARD (1824-1897)
• MAITLAND, FREDERIC WILLIAM (1850-1906)
• MAITLAND, SIR RICHARD (LORD LETHINGTON) (1496-r586)

Maitland, Domesday See also:

• BOOK

Book and Beyond (1897) ; See also:

• SIR

Sir F . See also:

• POLLOCK

Pollock and F . W . Maitland, History of English See also:

• LAW
• LAW (0. Eng. lagu, M. Eng. lawe; from an old Teutonic root lag, " lie," what lies fixed or evenly; cf. Lat. lex, Fr. loi)
• LAW, JOHN (1671—1729)
• LAW, WILLIAM (1686-1761)

Law (1895); H . M . See also:

• CHADWICK, SIR EDWIN (18o0-1890)

Chadwick, Studies on Anglo-Saxon Institutions (1905), and The See also:

• VICTORIA
• VICTORIA (or VITTORIA), TOMMASSO LUDOVICO DA (C. I540-C. 1613)
• VICTORIA [ALEXANDRINA VICTORIA]

Victoria History of the Counties of England . (G .

J .