COUNTY

A county is in England that district of territory which was anciently subject to the government of an earl or ealdorman, from whose Latin title comes the term is derived. The Saxon word corresponding to county was shire, meaning division, which is therefore not applied to such counties as were originally distinct sovereignties; such as Kent, E ex, Su ex, Middle sex, Suffolk, Norfolk. The division of the kingdom into counties, which, in common with many other of our earlier institutions, is commonly attributed to Alfred, though it was probably of a date far anterior, was in ancient times chiefly of use in marking the limits of different jurisdictions. To each county belonged a county court, which it was the duty of the thanes and other freeholders to attend and do suits at, though it seems the thanes only took part in the administration of justice. Such court was originally held by the earl and bishop, the latter a isting in respect of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction belonging to the court; or in their absence by the sheriff, upon whom the right to pre/'ide in the county court, either in person or by deputy, as well as the other civil functions of the earl, have long since devolved. Considered in its judicial character, the county court was the great court baron or civil court of the county, and was originally competent to the trial of almost all civil actions arising within such county. The criminal jurisdiction belonging to the county, which is now vested in the magistrates at quarter se ions, was anciently exercised by the sheriff in his tourn {see title Tourn). The boundaries of a county serve also to mark the limits of the jurisdiction, both civil and criminal, which other courts or judges exercise within each county severally by commi ion from the crown {see Venue); and within which limits also are U 3 [s. 306]