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 applies 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 itwas probably ol a date far anterior, was in ancient times chiefly of use in marking the limit* of different jurisdictions. To eacn countv belonged a couuty court, which it was the uuty ol [s. 309]