Counties of England

England has been divided into counties for hundreds of years. The divisions originated as administrative areas, but have been adopted for geographic purposes.

Administrative counties

Elected county councils were set up in England in 1888, taking over many of the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions courts, as well as being given other powers over the years. For political purposes, these covered newly established areas known as 'administrative counties', which included such entities as the County of London, covering parts of historic Kent, Middlesex and Surrey, and the historic counties were not formally abolished. The administrative counties did not cover the independent county boroughs; and many historic counties were covered by two (Suffolk, Sussex, Northamptonshire, Hampshire, Cambridgeshire) or three (Yorkshire, Lincolnshire) administrative counties.

Related Topics:
County council - 1888 - Quarter Sessions - County of London - Kent - Middlesex - Surrey - County borough - Suffolk - Sussex - Northamptonshire - Hampshire - Cambridgeshire - Yorkshire - Lincolnshire

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1965 saw a minor change as the original County of London became instead the 'administrative area' of Greater London, in the process absorbing most of the remaining part of Middlesex; Huntingdonshire merged with the Soke of Peterborough to form Huntingdon and Peterborough, and the original Cambridgeshire administrative county merged with the Isle of Ely (historically the north of Cambridgeshire, around Ely) to form Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely.

Related Topics:
1965 - County of London - Greater London - Huntingdonshire - Soke of Peterborough - Huntingdon and Peterborough - Cambridgeshire - Isle of Ely - Ely - Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely

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