Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in
Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with
county. It was first used in
Wessex from the beginning of
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
settlement, and spread to most of the rest of
England in the tenth century. In some rural parts of Australia, a shire is a local government area; however, in Australia it is not synonymous with a "county", which is a
lands administrative division.
Etymology
The word ''shire'' derives from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
, from the
Proto-Germanic ( goh, sćira), denoting an 'official charge' a 'district under a governor', and a 'care'. In the UK, ''shire'' became synonymous with ''
county'', an administrative term introduced to England through the
Norman Conquest in the later part of the eleventh century. In contemporary British usage, the word ''counties'' also refers to shires, mainly in places such as
Shire Hall.
In regions with
rhotic pronunciation, such as
Scotland, the word ''shire'' is pronounced ; in areas of non-rhotic pronunciation, the final ''R'' is silent, unless the next word begins in a vowel sound. In England and Wales, when ''shire'' is a place-name suffix, the vowel is unstressed and usually shortened (
monophthongized
Monophthongization is a sound change by which a diphthong becomes a monophthong, a type of vowel shift. It is also known as ungliding, as diphthongs are also known as gliding vowels. In languages that have undergone monophthongization, digraph (o ...
); the pronunciations include and , with the final ''R'' pronunciation depending on rhoticity. The vowel is normally reduced to a single
schwa
In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa (, rarely or ; sometimes spelled shwa) is a vowel sound denoted by the IPA symbol , placed in the central position of the vowel chart. In English and some other languages, it rep ...
, as in ''
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
'' or and ''
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
'' or .
Origins
The system was first used in the kingdom of
Wessex from the beginning of
Anglo-Saxon settlement, and spread to most of the rest of England in the tenth century, along with the West Saxon kingdom's political domination. In
Domesday
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
(1086) the city of
York was divided into shires. The first shires of Scotland were created in English-settled areas such as
Lothian
Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Sco ...
and the
Borders, in the ninth century.
King David I more consistently created shires and appointed
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
s across lowland ''shores'' of Scotland.
The shire in early days was governed by an ''
ealdorman
Ealdorman (, ) was a term in Anglo-Saxon England which originally applied to a man of high status, including some of royal birth, whose authority was independent of the king. It evolved in meaning and in the eighth century was sometimes applied ...
'' and in the later Anglo-Saxon period by a royal official known as a "shire
reeve
Reeve may refer to:
Titles
*Reeve (Canada), an elected chief executive of some counties, townships, and equivalents
*Reeve (England), an official elected annually by the serfs to supervise lands for a lord
*High-reeve, a title taken by some Englis ...
" or
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
. The shires were divided into
hundreds or
wapentakes, although other less common sub-divisions existed. An alternative name for a shire was a "sheriffdom" until
sheriff court reforms separated the two concepts. The phrase "shire county" applies, unofficially, to
non-metropolitan counties in England, specifically those that are not local
unitary authority areas. In Scotland the word "county" was not adopted for the shires. Although "county" appears in some texts, "shire" was the normal name until counties for statutory purposes were created in the nineteenth century. In Ireland "shire" was not used for the counties.
In most cases, the "shire town" is the seat of the shire's government, or was historically. Sometimes the nomenclature exists even where "county" is used in place of "shire" as in, for instance,
Kentville in
Nova Scotia.
Shires in the United Kingdom
"Shire" also refers, in a narrower sense, to ancient counties with names that ended in "shire". These counties are typically (though not always) named after their
county town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
. The suffix ''-shire'' is attached to most of the names of English, Scottish and Welsh counties. It tends not to be found in the names of shires that were pre-existing divisions.
Essex,
Kent, and
Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
, for example, have never borne a ''-shire'', as each represents a former
Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Similarly
Cornwall was a
British kingdom before it became an English county. The term "shire" is not used in the names of the
six traditional counties of
Northern Ireland.
Shire names in England
Counties in England bearing the "-shire" suffix comprise:
Bedfordshire,
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
,
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
,
Cambridgeshire,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
,
Derbyshire,
Gloucestershire,
Hampshire,
Herefordshire,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
,
Huntingdonshire,
Lancashire,
Lincolnshire,
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
,
Northamptonshire,
Nottinghamshire,
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
,
Shropshire,
Staffordshire
Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
,
Warwickshire,
Wiltshire,
Worcestershire and
Yorkshire. These counties, on their
historical boundaries, cover a little more than half the area of England. The counties that do not use "-shire" are mainly in three areas, in the south-east, south-west and far north of England. Several of these counties no longer exist as administrative units, or have had their administrative boundaries reduced by local government reforms. Several of the successor authorities retain the "-shire" county names, such as
North Yorkshire,
East Yorkshire,
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
Yorkshire,
West Yorkshire, and
South Gloucestershire.
The county of
Devon was historically known as Devonshire, although this is no longer the official name. Indeed, it was retained by the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment until amalgamation in 2007. Similarly,
Dorset,
Rutland
Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
and
Somerset were formerly known as Dorsetshire, Rutlandshire and Somersetshire, but these terms are no longer official, and are rarely used outside the local populations.
Hexhamshire was a county in the north-east of England from the early 12th century until 1572, when it was incorporated into
Northumberland.
Shire names in Scotland
In Scotland, barely affected by the
Norman conquest of England
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...
, the word "shire" prevailed over "county" until the 19th century. Earliest sources have the same usage of the "-shire" suffix as in England (though in Scots this was oftenmost "schyr"). Later the "Shire" appears as a separate word.
"Shire" names in Scotland comprise
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
,
Ayrshire
Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
,
Banffshire
Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray ...
,
Berwickshire,
Clackmannanshire,
Cromartyshire,
Dumfriesshire,
Dunbartonshire,
Inverness-shire,
Kincardineshire,
Kinross-shire
The County of Kinross or Kinross-shire is a historic county and registration county in eastern Scotland, administered as part of Perth and Kinross since 1930. Surrounding its largest settlement and county town of Kinross, the county borders Per ...
,
Kirkcudbrightshire,
Lanarkshire,
Morayshire,
Nairnshire,
Peeblesshire
Peeblesshire ( gd, Siorrachd nam Pùballan), the County of Peebles or Tweeddale is a historic county of Scotland. Its county town is Peebles, and it borders Midlothian to the north, Selkirkshire to the east, Dumfriesshire to the south, and Lan ...
,
Perthshire
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
,
Renfrewshire,
Ross-shire,
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...
,
Selkirkshire,
Stirlingshire, and
Wigtownshire.
In Scotland four shires have alternative names with the "-shire" suffix:
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* Angu ...
(Forfarshire),
East Lothian
East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the histo ...
(Haddingtonshire),
Midlothian
Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
(Edinburghshire) and
West Lothian
West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...
(Linlithgowshire).
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
is occasionally still referred to as Sutherlandshire. Similarly,
Argyllshire
Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland.
Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
,
Buteshire
The County of Bute ( gd, Siorrachd Bhòid), also known as Buteshire, is a historic county and registration county of Scotland.
The county comprises a number of islands in the Firth of Clyde, between the counties of Argyll and Ayrshire, the p ...
,
Caithness-shire
Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded b ...
and
Fifeshire are sometimes found. Also, Morayshire was previously called Elginshire. There is debate about whether Argyllshire was ever really used.
Shire names in Wales
Shires in
Wales bearing the "-shire" suffix (''Sir'' preceding the name in Welsh) comprise:
Brecknockshire
, image_flag=
, HQ= Brecon
, Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974)
, Origin= Brycheiniog
, Status=
, Start= 1535
, End= ...
(or Breconshire),
Caernarfonshire (historically Carnarvonshire),
Cardiganshire
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...
(in Welsh- Ceredigion),
Carmarthenshire,
Denbighshire,
Flintshire,
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
,
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...
,
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
, and
Radnorshire
, HQ = Presteigne
, Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996)
, Origin =
, Status = historic county, administrative county
, Start ...
. In Wales, the counties of
Merioneth and
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
are occasionally referred to with the "shire" suffix. The only traditional Welsh county that never takes "shire" in English is
Anglesey; in Welsh it is referred to as 'Sir Fôn'.
Non-county "shires"
The suffix "-shire" could be a generalised term referring to a district. It did not acquire the strong association with
county until later. Other than these, the term was used for several other districts.
Bedlingtonshire,
Craikshire,
Norhamshire and
Islandshire were
exclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
s of County Durham, which were incorporated into Northumberland or
Yorkshire in 1844. The suffix was also used for many
hundreds,
wapentakes and liberties such as
Allertonshire,
Blackburnshire,
Halfshire
Halfshire (Latin: ''Hundredum Dimidii Comitatūs'', "hundred of half (the) county") was one of the hundreds in the English county of Worcestershire. As three of the five hundreds in the county were jurisdictions exempt from the authority of the sh ...
,
Howdenshire,
Leylandshire
The Leyland Hundred (also known as Leylandshire) is a historic subdivision of the English county of Lancashire. It covered the parishes of Brindle, Chorley, Croston, Eccleston, Hoole, Leyland, Penwortham, Rufford, Standish and Tarleton.
I ...
,
Powdershire
The hundreds of Cornwall ( kw, Keverangow Kernow) were administrative divisions or Shires (Hundred (administrative division), hundreds) into which Cornwall, the present day Counties of England, administrative county of England, in the United Ki ...
,
Pydarshire,
Richmondshire,
Riponshire,
Salfordshire
The Salford Hundred (also known as Salfordshire) was one of the subdivisions of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England (see: Hundred (county division). Its name alludes to its judicial centre being the township of Salford (the ...
,
Triggshire,
Tynemouthshire
Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, North East England. It is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, hence its name. It is 8 mi (13 km) east-northeast of Newcastle upon T ...
,
West Derbyshire and
Wivelshire,
counties corporate such as
Hullshire, and other districts such as
Applebyshire
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a market town and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England, with a population of 3,048 at the 2011 Census. Crossed by the River Eden, Appleby was the county town of the historic county of Westmorland. I ...
,
Bamburghshire
Bamburgh ( ) is a village and civil parish on the coast of Northumberland, England. It had a population of 454 in 2001, decreasing to 414 at the 2011 census.
The village is notable for the nearby Bamburgh Castle, a castle which was the seat of ...
,
Bunkleshire,
Carlisleshire,
Coldinghamshire
Coldingham ( sco, Cowjum) is a village and parish in Scottish Borders, on Scotland's southeast coastline, north of Eyemouth.
Parish
The parish lies in the east of the Lammermuir district. It is the second-largest civil parish by area in Berwic ...
,
Coxwoldshire,
Cravenshire,
Hallamshire,
Mashamshire
Masham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 1,205 at the 2011 census.
Etymology
In Wensleydale, on the western bank of the River Ure, the name derives from the An ...
and
Yetholmshire
Kirk Yetholm ('kirk yet-ham') is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, southeast of Kelso and less than west of the border. The first mention is of its church in the 13th century. Its sister town is Town Yetholm which lies ...
.
Richmondshire is today the name of a
local government district of
North Yorkshire.
Non-county shires were very common in Scotland.
Kinross-shire
The County of Kinross or Kinross-shire is a historic county and registration county in eastern Scotland, administered as part of Perth and Kinross since 1930. Surrounding its largest settlement and county town of Kinross, the county borders Per ...
and
Clackmannanshire are arguably survivals from such districts. Non-county "shires" in Scotland include
Bunkleshire,
Coldinghamshire
Coldingham ( sco, Cowjum) is a village and parish in Scottish Borders, on Scotland's southeast coastline, north of Eyemouth.
Parish
The parish lies in the east of the Lammermuir district. It is the second-largest civil parish by area in Berwic ...
and
Yetholmshire
Kirk Yetholm ('kirk yet-ham') is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, southeast of Kelso and less than west of the border. The first mention is of its church in the 13th century. Its sister town is Town Yetholm which lies ...
.
Shires in Australia
"Shire" is the most common word in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
for rural
local government areas (LGAs).
New South Wales,
Victoria,
Queensland,
Western Australia and the
Northern Territory use the term "shire" for this unit; the territories of
Christmas Island and
Cocos Island are also shires. In contrast,
South Australia uses
district and
region for its rural LGA units, while
Tasmania uses
municipality. Shires are generally functionally indistinguishable from
towns,
borough,
municipalities, or
cities.
Three LGAs in outer metropolitan
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and four in outer metropolitan
Melbourne have populations exceeding that of towns or municipalities, but retain significant bushlands and/or semi-rural areas, and most have continued to use "shire" in their titles whilst others have dropped it from theirs. These "city-shires" are:
Sydney:
*
Sutherland Shire (which is locally referred to as "The Shire")
*
The Hills Shire ("The Garden Shire", previously "Baulkham Hills Shire")
*
Hornsby Shire ("The Bushland Shire")
Melbourne:
*
Shire of Nillumbik ("The Green Wedge Shire")
*
Shire of Yarra Ranges
*
Shire of Cardinia
*
Shire of Mornington Peninsula (which is locally known as "The Peninsula")
*
Shire of Pakenham (1862-1994)
Shires in the United States
Virginia
In 1634, eight "shires" were created in the
Virginia Colony by order of
Charles I, King of England. They were renamed as
counties only a few years later. They were:
*
Accomac Shire (since 1642
Northampton County, Virginia)
*
Charles City Shire (since 1637
Charles City County, Virginia)
*
Charles River Shire (since 1643
York County, Virginia)
*
Elizabeth City Shire (became
Elizabeth City County, Virginia in 1643)
*
Henrico Shire
Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is inc ...
(later became
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is incl ...
)
*
James City Shire (about 1642-43
James City County, Virginia)
*
Warwick River Shire {{Unreferenced, date=February 2020
Warwick River Shire was one of eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634. It was located on the Virginia Peninsula on the northern shore of the James River between Hampton Roads and the Jamestown Settlem ...
(became consolidated with the City of
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
)
*
Warrosquyoake Shire (became
Isle of Wight County, Virginia)
Today, the concept of a "Shire" still exists in Virginia code. It is defined as a semi-autonomous subdivision of a consolidated City-County. Currently no Shires exist in the commonwealth and the administrative provision is largely unknown.
New York and New England
Before the
Province of New York was granted county subdivisions and a greater royal presence in 1683, the early ducal colony consisted of
York Shire, as well as
Albany and
Ulster, after the three titles held by
Prince James:
Duke of York
Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...
,
Duke of Albany,
Earl of Ulster. While these were basically renamed Dutch core settlements, they were quickly converted to English purposes, while the Dutch remained within the colony, as opposed to later practice of the
Acadian Expulsion. Further Anglo-Dutch synthesis occurred when Prince James enacted the
Dominion of New England and later when
William III of England took over through the
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
.
The word also survives in the name of the
state of
New Hampshire, whose co-founder,
John Mason, named his
Province of New Hampshire after the English county of
Hampshire.
See also
*
Comarca
*
Comarcas of Spain
*
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the 42 ''comarques'' (singular ''comarca'', , ) into which Catalonia is divided. A ''comarca'' is a group of municipalities, roughly equivalent to a county in the US or a district or council in the UK. However, in the context ...
*
Counties of England
The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...
*
Counties of Scotland
The shires of Scotland ( gd, Siorrachdan na h-Alba), or counties of Scotland, are historic subdivisions of Scotland established in the Middle Ages and used as administrative divisions until 1975. Originally established for judicial purposes (bei ...
*
Counties of Wales
*
Counties of the United Kingdom
The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. The older term, ''shire'' is historically equivalent to county. By the Middle Ages ...
*
Gau
References
{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities
Types of administrative division
Place name element etymologies
English suffixes