| Revision as of 22:01, 6 December 2023 editA.D.Hope (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users6,435 edits Rewording leadTag: Visual edit← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 00:17, 31 December 2024 edit undoDr Greg (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers38,691 edits Reverted good faith edits by TrevorLenab (talk): The official name of the lieutenancy county is just "Durham"Tags: Twinkle Undo | ||
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| {{Short description|Category of areas in England}} | {{Short description|Category of areas in England}} | ||
| {{redirect|Ceremonial counties|those used for a similar ceremonial purpose in Wales|Preserved counties of Wales}} | |||
| {{Distinguish|text=the ]}} | |||
| {{Distinguish|text=the ]}} | |||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} | ||
| {{Infobox subdivision type | {{Infobox subdivision type | ||
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| }} | }} | ||
| '''Ceremonial counties''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ceremonial Counties |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/documents/product-support/ceremonial-county-boundaries-creation-process.pdf |access-date=29 November 2023 |website=Ordnance Survey}}</ref> formally known as ''counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'',<ref name="sched_1" /> are areas of ] to which ] are appointed. A lord-lieutenant is the monarch's representative in an area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-29 |title=Document (01) The Lord-Lieutenant |url=https://council.lancashire.gov.uk/ecSDDisplayClassic.aspx?NAME=SD1072&id=1072&rpid=0 |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=council.lancashire.gov.uk}}</ref> '''Shrieval counties''' have the same boundaries and serve a similar purpose, being the areas to which ] |
'''Ceremonial counties''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ceremonial Counties |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/documents/product-support/ceremonial-county-boundaries-creation-process.pdf |access-date=29 November 2023 |website=Ordnance Survey}}</ref> formally known as ''counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'',<ref name="sched_1" /> are areas of ] to which ] are appointed. They are one of the two main legal definitions of the ] in modern usage, the other being the counties for the purposes of ] legislation. A lord-lieutenant is the ]'s representative in an area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-29 |title=Document (01) The Lord-Lieutenant |url=https://council.lancashire.gov.uk/ecSDDisplayClassic.aspx?NAME=SD1072&id=1072&rpid=0 |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=council.lancashire.gov.uk}}</ref> '''Shrieval counties''' have the same boundaries and serve a similar purpose, being the areas to which ] are appointed. High sheriffs are the monarch's judicial representative in an area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=High Sheriff of Lancashire |url=https://www.highsheriffoflancashire.co.uk/ |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=www.highsheriffoflancashire.co.uk}}</ref> | ||
| The ceremonial counties are defined in the ], and the shrieval counties in the ]. |
The ceremonial counties are defined in the ], and the shrieval counties in the ]. Both are defined as groups of local government counties. | ||
| == History == | == History == | ||
| ] deviated from the boundaries in 1889]] | ] | ||
| The ] were originally used as areas for administering justice and organising the ], overseen by a ]. From ] times onwards a ] was appointed to oversee the militia, taking some of the sheriff's functions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Anson |first1=William R. |title=The Law and Custom of the Constitution: Part 2 |date=1892 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |page=236 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P-41AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA236 |access-date=22 March 2024}}</ref> | |||
| === Ceremonial counties === | |||
| The distinction between a county for purposes of the lieutenancy and a county for administrative purposes is not a new one. In some cases, a ] that was part of a county appointed its own lieutenant, although the lieutenant of the containing county would often be appointed to this position, as well, and the three ] of ] had been treated as three counties for lieutenancy purposes since the 17th century. | |||
| Certain towns and cities were ], which gave them the right to appoint their own sheriffs and hold their own courts. Whilst in theory the counties corporate could have had separate lieutenants appointed for them, in practice all of them except ] shared a lieutenant with the wider county from which they had been created.{{efn|The county corporate of ] was created from parts of both ] and ], but was entirely included in the ], except for between 1660 and 1672 when it was included in the ].}} London had instead a ], headed by the ].<ref name=statutesatlarge>{{cite book |title=The Statutes at Large |date=1798 |page=426 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Imy3W_M5mtIC&pg=PA426 |access-date=18 February 2024 |chapter=Milita Act 1796 (37 Geo. 3 c. 3)}}</ref> The long-standing practice of appointing lieutenants jointly to the wider county and any counties corporate it contained was formalised by the Militia Act 1882.<ref>{{cite book |title=Militia Act |date=1882 |page=21 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N4pCAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA21 |access-date=18 February 2024 |last1=Lely |first1=John Mounteney }}</ref> | |||
| The ] established ] to assume the administrative functions of ] in the counties. It created new entities called "]". An administrative county comprised all of the county apart from the ]; also, some traditional subdivisions of counties were constituted administrative counties, for instance the ] in ] and the ] in ]. | |||
| Apart from the inclusion of the counties corporate, the counties for the purposes of lieutenancy generally corresponded to the judicial counties. The exception was Yorkshire, which was one judicial county, having a single ], but from 1660 onwards each of Yorkshire's three ] had its own lieutenant. | |||
| The act further stipulated that areas that were part of an administrative county would be part of the county for all purposes. The greatest change was the creation of the ], which was made both an administrative county and a "county"; it included parts of the historic counties of ], ], and ]. Other differences were small and resulted from the constraint that ]s (and later ] and ]s) were not permitted to straddle county boundaries. | |||
| In 1889 elected ]s were established under the ], taking over the administrative functions of the ]. Certain towns and cities were made ]s, independent from the county councils. In counties where the quarter sessions had been held separately for different parts of the county, such as the ], each part was given its own county council. The area administered by a county council was called an ]. As such, some of the judicial or lieutenancy counties comprised several administrative counties and county boroughs.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1888|year=1888|chapter=41|acess-date=17 March 2024}} Section 59</ref> | |||
| Apart from Yorkshire, counties that were subdivided continued to exist as ceremonial counties. For example, the administrative counties of ] and ], along with the ], were considered to make up a single ceremonial county of ], and the administrative county of the ] was part of the ceremonial county of ]. | |||
| The ] adopted the term 'geographical county' to describe the widest definition of the county. In most cases this was the lieutenancy county; the exceptions were Yorkshire, where the judicial county was larger on account of it being split into its three ridings for lieutenancy purposes, and the ] where the administrative county was larger on account of the City of London and the rest of the county being separate for both judicial and lieutenancy purposes.<ref name=OS/> | |||
| The term "ceremonial county" in this context is an ]; at the time they were shown on ] maps as "counties" or "geographical counties", and were referred to in the Local Government Act 1888 simply as "counties". | |||
| ] | |||
| Apart from minor boundary revisions (for example, ], a town in ], becoming part of ] county borough and thus of ], in 1911), these areas changed little until the 1965 creation of Greater London and of ], which resulted in the abolition of the offices of ], ], and ] and the creation of the ] and of the ]. | |||
| The counties lost their judicial functions in 1972, after which the main functions of the counties were the administrative functions of local government.<ref name=courtsact/> Despite the loss of their functions, sheriffs continued to be appointed to the former judicial counties up until 1974.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=45941|page=4153|date=30 March 1973}}</ref> | |||
| In 1974, administrative counties and county boroughs were abolished, and a new system of ] and ] counties was introduced instead. Sheriffs were renamed 'high sheriffs' and both they and the lieutenants were appointed to the new versions of the counties.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46116|page=12880|date=30 October 1973}}</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| In 1974, administrative counties and county boroughs were abolished, and a major reform was instituted. At this time, lieutenancy was redefined to use the new ] directly. | |||
| The counties of ], ] and ], each of which had only been created in 1974, were all abolished in 1996. They were divided into ]; legally these are also non-metropolitan counties. As part of these reforms, it was decided to define counties for the purposes of lieutenancy differently from the local government counties in some cases, effectively reverting to the pre-1974 arrangements for lieutenancies. Whereas the lieutenancies had been defined slightly differently from the shrieval counties prior to 1974, it was decided in 1996 that the high sheriffs and lieutenants should be appointed to the same areas. Regulations amending the ] and specifying the areas for the appointment of lieutenants were accordingly brought in with effect from 1 April 1996.<ref name=1995regs>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government Changes for England (Miscellaneous Provision) Regulations 1995|year=1995|number=1748|access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref><ref name=1997act>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Lieutenancies Act 1997|year=1997|chapter=23|access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref> | |||
| Following a further rearrangement in 1996, ], ], ], and ] were abolished. This led to a resurrection of a distinction between the local government counties and the ceremonial or geographical counties used for lieutenancy, and also to the adoption of the term "ceremonial counties", which although not used in statute, was used in the ] before the arrangements coming into effect.<ref> {{webarchive |url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060303113340/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199596/cmhansrd/vo960229/text/60229w08.htm |date=3 March 2006 }}</ref> | |||
| The regulations were then consolidated into the ]. When Herefordshire, Rutland and Worcestershire were re-established as local government counties in 1997 and 1998 no amendment was made to the 1997 Act regarding them, allowing them to also serve as their own lieutenancy areas.<ref name=HerefordandWorcester>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996|year=1996|number=1867|access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref><ref name=LeicestershireandRutland>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996|year=1996|number=507|access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref> The lieutenancy counties have not changed in area since 1998, although the definitions of which local government counties are included in each lieutenancy have been amended to reflect new unitary authorities being created since 1997.<ref name=1997act/> | |||
| The County of Avon that had been formed in 1974 was mostly split between ] and ], but its city of ] regained the status of a county in itself, which it had lost upon the formation of Avon. Cleveland was partitioned between ] and ]. Hereford and Worcester was divided into the restored counties of ] and ]. Humberside was split between ] and a new ceremonial county of ]. ] was restored as a ceremonial county. Many county boroughs were re-established as ]; this involved establishing the area as an administrative county, but usually not as a ceremonial county. | |||
| In legislation the lieutenancy areas are described as 'counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'; the informal term 'ceremonial county' has come into usage for such areas, appearing in parliamentary debates as early as 1996.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996: House of Lords debate 28 February 1996 |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1996/feb/28/leicestershire-city-of-leicester-and |website=Hansard |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=21 March 2024}}</ref> | |||
| Most ceremonial counties are, therefore, entities comprising local authority areas, as they were from 1889 to 1974. The ], a traditional counties lobbying organisation, has suggested that ceremonial counties be restored to their ancient boundaries. | |||
| == Shrieval counties == | == Shrieval counties == | ||
| Line 46: | Line 46: | ||
| == Definition == | == Definition == | ||
| The ] defines counties for the purposes of lieutenancies in terms of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties (created by the ], as amended) as well as Greater London and the Isles of Scilly (which lie outside the 1972 Act's |
The ] defines counties for the purposes of lieutenancies in terms of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties (created by the ], as amended) as well as Greater London and the Isles of Scilly (which lie outside the 1972 Act's system). Although the term is not used in the act, these counties are sometimes known as "ceremonial counties". The counties are defined in Schedule 1, paragraphs 2–5<ref name="sched_1">{{UK-LEG|path=ukpga/1997/23/schedule/1|title=Lieutenancies Act 1997 – Schedule 1: Counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies in Great Britain|access_date=2011-05-03}}</ref> as amended<ref name="amend_1">{{UK-LEG|path=uksi/1997/1992/contents/made|title=Lord-Lieutenants – The Local Government Changes for England (Lord-Lieutenants and Sheriffs) Order 1997|asmade=yes|access_date=2011-05-03}}</ref> (in 2009,<ref name="amend_2">{{UK-LEG|path=uksi/2009/837/contents/made|title=The Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009 (SI 2009/837)|asmade=yes|access_date=2011-05-03|noprefix=yes}}</ref> 2019<ref name=Dorset>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/615/article/4/made|title=The Local Government (Structural and Boundary Changes) (Supplementary Provision and Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2019}}</ref> and 2023).<ref name=Cumbria></ref> | ||
| Generally, each time a new non-metropolitan county is created the 1997 Act is amended to redefine the existing areas of the lieutenancies in terms of the new areas.{{NoteTag|For example, Cheshire was prior to ] defined as the non-metropolitan counties of Cheshire, Halton & Warrington; the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire on 1 April that year split into the non-metropolitan counties of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Schedule 1 of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 was duly amended to take into account these changes to local government within the ceremonial county.}} No such amendment was made in 1997 when Rutland was made a unitary authority or in 1998 when Herefordshire and Worcestershire were re-established; those three therefore have been given their own lieutenants again since the passing of the 1997 Act. The actual areas of the ceremonial counties have not changed since 1998. | |||
| === Lieutenancy areas since 1997 === | |||
| === Lieutenancy areas since 1998 === | |||
| These are the 48 counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies in England, as currently defined: | These are the 48 counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies in England, as currently defined: | ||
| {{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}{{static row numbers}} | |||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" id="list" | |||
| {| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header-multi static-row-numbers col1left col7left" id="list" {{right}} | |||
| ! rowspan=2| County for the purposes<br />of the lieutenancies !! colspan=2| ]<br /><small>(2018)</small><ref>{{United Kingdom district population citation}}</ref><ref>{{United Kingdom district population citation|area}}</ref> !! colspan=3| Area !! colspan=3| Density !! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" width=380pt| Composition<br /><small>]<br />(including ] areas)</small> | |||
| ! rowspan=2 | Location | |||
| ! rowspan=2 | Population {{br}} ({{English cerem counties|TXT=Year}})<ref>{{English cerem counties|TXT=Cite}}</ref> | |||
| ! colspan=2 | Area | |||
| ! colspan=2 | Density | |||
| ! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" | Composition<br /><small>] {{br}} (including ] areas)</small> | |||
| |- class="static-row-header" | |||
| ! {{km2}} !! {{mi2}} !! /{{km2}} !! /{{mi2}} | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Bedfordshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Bedfordshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}|| {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Bedfordshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}}|| ], ] and ] | |||
| ! No. !! class="unsortable"| Rank !! <small>(km<sup>2</sup>)</small> !! <small>(sq mi)</small> !! class="unsortable"| Rank !! <small>(/km<sup>2</sup>)</small> !! <small>(/sq mi)</small> !! class="unsortable"| Rank | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Berkshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Berkshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Berkshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ], ], ], ], ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Bristol}} || {{convert|{{#expr:{{English cerem counties|ARE=Bristol}}round0}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Bristol}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Buckinghamshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Buckinghamshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Buckinghamshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Cambridgeshire}}|| {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Cambridgeshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Cambridgeshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Cambridgeshire and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Cheshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Cheshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Cheshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ], ], ], and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] |
| ]{{efn|Because the City of London has a Commission of Lieutenancy rather than a single lord-lieutenant, it is treated as a county for some purposes of the Lieutenancy Act. ( paragraph 4)}} || {{English cerem counties|POP=City of London}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=City of London}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=City of London}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || City of London | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Cornwall}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Cornwall}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Cornwall}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and the ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Cumbria}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Cumbria}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Cumbria}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and ]<ref name=Cumbria/> | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Derbyshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Derbyshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Derbyshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Derbyshire and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Devon}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Devon}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Devon}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Devon, ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Dorset}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Dorset}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Dorset}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and ]<ref name=Dorset/> | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] || |
| ] || {{efn| name="CoDur&NYorks" |Uniquely, the district of Stockton-on-Tees is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire.}}{{English cerem counties|POP=County Durham}}|| {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=County Durham}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=County Durham}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ], ], ] and part of ] north of the ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=East Riding of Yorkshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=East Riding of Yorkshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=East Riding of Yorkshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=East Sussex}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=East Sussex}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=East Sussex}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || East Sussex and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Essex}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Essex}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Essex}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Essex, ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Gloucestershire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Gloucestershire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Gloucestershire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Gloucestershire and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Greater London}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Greater London}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Greater London}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || None (see the ]) | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Greater Manchester}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Greater Manchester}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Greater Manchester}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Greater Manchester | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Hampshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Hampshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Hampshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Hampshire, ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Herefordshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Herefordshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Herefordshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Herefordshire | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Hertfordshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Hertfordshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Hertfordshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Hertfordshire | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Isle of Wight}} || {{convert|{{#expr:{{English cerem counties|ARE=Isle of Wight}}round0}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Isle of Wight}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Isle of Wight | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Kent}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Kent}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Kent}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Kent and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Lancashire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Lancashire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Lancashire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ], ] and Lancashire | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Leicestershire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Leicestershire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Leicestershire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Leicestershire and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Lincolnshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Lincolnshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Lincolnshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Lincolnshire, ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Merseyside}} || {{convert|{{#expr:{{English cerem counties|ARE=Merseyside}}round0}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Merseyside}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Merseyside | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Norfolk}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Norfolk}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Norfolk}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Norfolk | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{efn| name="CoDur&NYorks"}}{{English cerem counties|POP=North Yorkshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=North Yorkshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=North Yorkshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ], ], ], ] and part of ] south of the ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Northamptonshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Northamptonshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Northamptonshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Northumberland}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Northumberland}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Northumberland}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Northumberland | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Nottinghamshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Nottinghamshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Nottinghamshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Nottinghamshire and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Oxfordshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Oxfordshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Oxfordshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Oxfordshire | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Rutland}} || {{convert|{{#expr:{{English cerem counties|ARE=Rutland}}round0}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Rutland}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Rutland | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Shropshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Shropshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Shropshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Somerset}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Somerset}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Somerset}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ], ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=South Yorkshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=South Yorkshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=South Yorkshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || South Yorkshire | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Staffordshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Staffordshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Staffordshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Staffordshire and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Suffolk}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Suffolk}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Suffolk}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Suffolk | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Surrey}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Surrey}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Surrey}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Surrey | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Tyne and Wear}} || {{convert|{{#expr:{{English cerem counties|ARE=Tyne and Wear}}round0}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Tyne and Wear}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Tyne and Wear | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Warwickshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Warwickshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Warwickshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Warwickshire | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=West Midlands}} || {{convert|{{#expr:{{English cerem counties|ARE=West Midlands}}round0}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=West Midlands}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || West Midlands | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=West Sussex}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=West Sussex}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=West Sussex}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || West Sussex | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=West Yorkshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=West Yorkshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=West Yorkshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || West Yorkshire | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Wiltshire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Wiltshire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Wiltshire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || ] and ] | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] | |
| ] || {{English cerem counties|POP=Worcestershire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Worcestershire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Worcestershire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || Worcestershire | ||
| |- | |||
| | ] || align="right"| {{English cerem counties|POP=Worcestershire}} || align="right"| {{English cerem counties|RNK=Worcestershire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|ARE=Worcestershire}}|km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || align="right"| {{English cerem counties|ARK=Worcestershire}} || {{convert|{{English cerem counties|DEN=Worcestershire}}|/km2|disp = table|sortable = on}} || align="right"| {{English cerem counties|DRK=Worcestershire}} || Worcestershire | |||
| |} | |} | ||
| {{clear}} | {{clear}} | ||
| ==Geographical counties 1889–1974== | |||
| == Lieutenancy areas in 1890 == | |||
| {{England Ceremonial Counties Labelled Map|year=1889|showridings=yes|width=460|float=right|caption=Lieutenancy areas in 1890}} | {{England Ceremonial Counties Labelled Map|year=1889|showridings=yes|width=460|float=right|caption=Lieutenancy areas in 1890}} | ||
| After the creation of county councils in 1889, there were counties for judicial and shrieval purposes, counties for lieutenancy purposes, and administrative counties and county boroughs for the purposes of local government. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| The 1888 Act used the term 'entire county' to refer to the group of administrative counties and county boroughs created within each judicial county.<ref>Section 100</ref> The Ordnance Survey used the term 'geographical county' to refer to this wider definition of the county.<ref name=OS>{{cite book |last1=Harley |first1=John Brian |title=Ordnance Survey Maps: A descriptive manual |date=1975 |publisher=Ordnance Survey |page=82 |isbn=978-0-319-00000-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PTBBvU9_y2wC&q=%22ordnance+survey%22+%22geographical+county%22 |access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref> | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ], including ] | |||
| Yorkshire had three lieutenancies, one for each riding, but was a single judicial county with one sheriff, and was counted as one geographical county by Ordnance Survey.<ref>{{cite web |title=1:10,000 map SE82SE, 1971 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/189184428 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=24 March 2024}} Note the distinction in the key and on the map between the boundaries of geographical counties and the administrative counties.</ref> | |||
| * ] | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| The counties lost their judicial functions in 1972 under the ] which abolished the ] and ].<ref name=courtsact>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Courts Act 1971|year=1971|chapter=23|access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> Sheriffs continued to be appointed for each county despite the loss of the judicial functions. Certain towns and cities were ] appointing their own sheriffs. The counties corporate were all included in a wider county for lieutenancy purposes, except the City of London which had its own lieutenants. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| The geographical counties were relatively stable between 1889 and 1965. There were occasional boundary changes, notably following the ] which said that parishes and districts were no longer allowed to straddle county boundaries. After that most boundary changes were primarily to accommodate urban areas which were growing across county boundaries, such as when ] was transferred from ] to ] as a result of being absorbed into the ] in 1911. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| The lieutenancies and judicial / shrieval counties were defined as groups of administrative counties and county boroughs, and so were automatically adjusted if the boundaries of those administrative areas changed. There were two exceptions to this rule (one only briefly). The county borough of ] straddled Norfolk and Suffolk for judicial and lieutenancy purposes until 1891 when it was placed entirely in Norfolk for those purposes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 13) Act 1890 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/53-54/202/pdfs/ukla_18900202_en.pdf |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=23 August 2023 |page=13}}</ref> The county borough of ] straddled Cheshire and Lancashire for judicial and lieutenancy purposes - it was placed entirely in Lancashire for judicial purposes in 1956 but continued to straddle the two counties for lieutenancy purposes until 1974.<ref>{{cite book |title=Criminal Justice Administration Act 1956 |date=30 October 2023 |page=168 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o9guAAAAIAAJ |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref>{{efn|The Third Schedule of the 1888 Act lists the county boroughs with the "Name of the County in which, for the purposes of this Act, the Borough is deemed to be situate." Four county boroughs were then listed as deemed to be in more than one county: Bristol, Great Yarmouth, Stockport and York. However, the purposes of the act did not include changing which counties, ridings and counties corporate were included in each lieutenancy area; those were already set by the Militia Act 1882 and were not altered by the 1888 Act, except that if the boundaries of an administrative county changed then so too did any lieutenancy, shrieval or judicial area to match (section 59). For lieutenancy purposes, Bristol was solely in Gloucestershire, and York was solely in the West Riding. As both were counties corporate they had their own sheriffs and served as their own judicial areas.<ref>{{cite book |title=Militia Act |date=1882 |page=21 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N4pCAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA21 |access-date=18 February 2024 |last1=Lely |first1=John Mounteney }}</ref> The purposes of the 1888 Act which necessitated county boroughs to be deemed to be situated in a wider county related to certain financial matters rather than lieutenancy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=MacMorran |first1=Alexander |last2=Colquhoun Dill |first2=T. R. |title=The Local Government Act 1888 etc. with Notes and Index |date=1898 |publisher=Shaw and Sons |location=London |page=68 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wVCAAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA68 |access-date=24 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Reports from Commissioners, Inspectors and Others |date=1892 |publisher=Local Government Commission |page=164 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_xGAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA164 |access-date=24 March 2024}}</ref>}} | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| {{clear}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| ;Geographical, shrieval, lieutenancy and administrative counties 1889–1965 | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| {{sticky header}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| {| class="wikitable sticky-header" | |||
| * ] | |||
| !Geographical county!!Sheriffs<br/>''Counties corporate''!!Lieutenants!!Administrative counties<br/>''County boroughs'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| ** held jointly with ] and ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ] (after 1964)'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ]{{efn|Shared with Huntingdonshire}} || ] || ]<br/>] | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]''<br/>''– ]''<br/>''– ]''{{efn|name=Stockport|For judicial and lieutenancy purposes, Stockport south of the ] and ] was in Cheshire, north of the rivers in Lancashire. In 1956 the whole borough was placed in Lancashire for judicial purposes whilst continuing to straddle the two counties for the purposes of lieutenancy.}}<br/>''– ] (after 1913)'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>]{{efn|'']'' authority created 1890.}} | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ], having commissioners of Lieutenancy | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ] (from 1915)'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ] (until 1914)<br/>– ]<br/>– ]'' | |||
| * ], including the ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ] | |||
| ** held jointly with ] and ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ] (after 1915)<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ] (after 1902)'' | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ] (after 1915)<br/>– ] (after 1914)<br/>– ]'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]'' | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>] (after 1890)<br/>''– ] (after 1900)<br/>– ]<br/>– ]'' | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ]{{efn|Shared with Cambridgeshire}} || ] || ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ] | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| ** held jointly with ] | |||
| |- | |||
| * ]—had three Lieutenants, one for each of the three ridings | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ] (after 1904)<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ] (after 1905)<br/>– ]{{efn|name=Stockport}}<br/>– ] (after 1900)<br/>– ]'' | |||
| ** ], held jointly with ] | |||
| |- | |||
| ** ] | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| ** ], held jointly with ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ]<br/>] || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]''{{efn|name=Yarmouth|The county borough of Great Yarmouth straddled Norfolk and Suffolk for judicial and lieutenancy purposes, with the part north of the ] in Norfolk and south of it in Suffolk, until 1891 when the whole borough was placed in Norfolk for those purposes.}}<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ] (after 1904)'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ] (after 1889)''{{efn|Oxford was briefly included in the administrative county of Oxfordshire created in April 1889, but was made a county borough in November 1889.}} | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ] (after 1901)<br/>– ] (until 1910)<br/>– ] (from 1907)<br/>– ] (after 1910)<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>]<br/>''– ] (part, until 1891){{efn|name=Yarmouth}}<br/>– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ] (after 1911)<br/>– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ] (after 1964)'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ] || ] || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/> || ] || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ]<br/>''– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |rowspan=3|] || rowspan=3|]<br/>] (after 1962)<br/>''– ]<br/>– ]'' || ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || ]<br/>''– ]'' | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || ]<br/>''– ] (after 1913)<br/>– ]<br/>– ] (after 1913)<br/>– ] (after 1927)<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ]<br/>– ] (after 1902)<br/>– ]<br/>– ] (after 1915)<br/>– ]'' | |||
| |} | |||
| More significant changes to the geographical counties were made in 1965 with the creation of Greater London and of ], which resulted in the abolition of the offices of ], ], and ] and the creation of the ] and of the ]. | |||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| Line 218: | Line 272: | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| Line 225: | Line 280: | ||
| == Notes == | == Notes == | ||
| {{NoteFoot}} | {{NoteFoot}} | ||
| {{notelist}} | |||
| == References == | == References == | ||
Latest revision as of 00:17, 31 December 2024
Category of areas in England "Ceremonial counties" redirects here. For those used for a similar ceremonial purpose in Wales, see Preserved counties of Wales. Not to be confused with the Historic counties of England.
| Ceremonial counties of England and shrieval counties of England | |
|---|---|
Northumberland
Durham
Lancashire
Cheshire
Derbs.
Notts.
Lincolnshire
Leics.
Staffs.
Shropshire
Warks.
Northants.
Norfolk
Suffolk
Essex
Herts.
Beds.
Bucks.
Oxon.
Glos.
Somerset
Wiltshire
Berkshire
Kent
Surrey
Hampshire
Dorset
Devon
Cornwall
Heref.
Worcs.
Bristol
East Ridingof Yorkshire Rutland Cambs. Greater London Not shown: City of London Tyne & Wear Cumbria North Yorkshire South Yorks. West Yorkshire Greater Manc. Merseyside East Sussex West Sussex Isle of Wight West Midlands | |
| Location | England |
| Number | 48 |
| Populations | 8,000 (City of London) to 8,167,000 (Greater London) |
| Areas | 3km² to 8,611 km² |
| Densities | 62/km² to 4,806/km² |
Ceremonial counties, formally known as counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies, are areas of England to which lord-lieutenants are appointed. They are one of the two main legal definitions of the counties of England in modern usage, the other being the counties for the purposes of local government legislation. A lord-lieutenant is the monarch's representative in an area. Shrieval counties have the same boundaries and serve a similar purpose, being the areas to which high sheriffs are appointed. High sheriffs are the monarch's judicial representative in an area.
The ceremonial counties are defined in the Lieutenancies Act 1997, and the shrieval counties in the Sheriffs Act 1887. Both are defined as groups of local government counties.
History
The historic counties of England were originally used as areas for administering justice and organising the militia, overseen by a sheriff. From Tudor times onwards a lord-lieutenant was appointed to oversee the militia, taking some of the sheriff's functions.
Certain towns and cities were counties corporate, which gave them the right to appoint their own sheriffs and hold their own courts. Whilst in theory the counties corporate could have had separate lieutenants appointed for them, in practice all of them except London shared a lieutenant with the wider county from which they had been created. London had instead a commission of lieutenancy, headed by the Lord Mayor. The long-standing practice of appointing lieutenants jointly to the wider county and any counties corporate it contained was formalised by the Militia Act 1882.
Apart from the inclusion of the counties corporate, the counties for the purposes of lieutenancy generally corresponded to the judicial counties. The exception was Yorkshire, which was one judicial county, having a single Sheriff of Yorkshire, but from 1660 onwards each of Yorkshire's three ridings had its own lieutenant.
In 1889 elected county councils were established under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over the administrative functions of the quarter sessions. Certain towns and cities were made county boroughs, independent from the county councils. In counties where the quarter sessions had been held separately for different parts of the county, such as the Parts of Lincolnshire, each part was given its own county council. The area administered by a county council was called an administrative county. As such, some of the judicial or lieutenancy counties comprised several administrative counties and county boroughs.
The Ordnance Survey adopted the term 'geographical county' to describe the widest definition of the county. In most cases this was the lieutenancy county; the exceptions were Yorkshire, where the judicial county was larger on account of it being split into its three ridings for lieutenancy purposes, and the County of London where the administrative county was larger on account of the City of London and the rest of the county being separate for both judicial and lieutenancy purposes.
.svg)
The counties lost their judicial functions in 1972, after which the main functions of the counties were the administrative functions of local government. Despite the loss of their functions, sheriffs continued to be appointed to the former judicial counties up until 1974.
In 1974, administrative counties and county boroughs were abolished, and a new system of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties was introduced instead. Sheriffs were renamed 'high sheriffs' and both they and the lieutenants were appointed to the new versions of the counties.
The counties of Avon, Cleveland and Humberside, each of which had only been created in 1974, were all abolished in 1996. They were divided into unitary authorities; legally these are also non-metropolitan counties. As part of these reforms, it was decided to define counties for the purposes of lieutenancy differently from the local government counties in some cases, effectively reverting to the pre-1974 arrangements for lieutenancies. Whereas the lieutenancies had been defined slightly differently from the shrieval counties prior to 1974, it was decided in 1996 that the high sheriffs and lieutenants should be appointed to the same areas. Regulations amending the Sheriffs Act 1887 and specifying the areas for the appointment of lieutenants were accordingly brought in with effect from 1 April 1996.
The regulations were then consolidated into the Lieutenancies Act 1997. When Herefordshire, Rutland and Worcestershire were re-established as local government counties in 1997 and 1998 no amendment was made to the 1997 Act regarding them, allowing them to also serve as their own lieutenancy areas. The lieutenancy counties have not changed in area since 1998, although the definitions of which local government counties are included in each lieutenancy have been amended to reflect new unitary authorities being created since 1997.
In legislation the lieutenancy areas are described as 'counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'; the informal term 'ceremonial county' has come into usage for such areas, appearing in parliamentary debates as early as 1996.
Shrieval counties
See also: List of shrievaltiesThe shrieval counties are defined by the Sheriffs Act 1887 as amended, in a similar way to the lieutenancies defined by the Lieutenancies Act 1997. Each has a high sheriff appointed (except the City of London, which has two sheriffs).
Definition
The Lieutenancies Act 1997 defines counties for the purposes of lieutenancies in terms of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties (created by the Local Government Act 1972, as amended) as well as Greater London and the Isles of Scilly (which lie outside the 1972 Act's system). Although the term is not used in the act, these counties are sometimes known as "ceremonial counties". The counties are defined in Schedule 1, paragraphs 2–5 as amended (in 2009, 2019 and 2023).
Generally, each time a new non-metropolitan county is created the 1997 Act is amended to redefine the existing areas of the lieutenancies in terms of the new areas. No such amendment was made in 1997 when Rutland was made a unitary authority or in 1998 when Herefordshire and Worcestershire were re-established; those three therefore have been given their own lieutenants again since the passing of the 1997 Act. The actual areas of the ceremonial counties have not changed since 1998.
Lieutenancy areas since 1998
These are the 48 counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies in England, as currently defined:
| Location | Population (2022) |
Area | Density | Composition Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties (including unitary authority areas) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km | mi | /km | /mi | |||
| Bedfordshire | 715,940 | 1,235 | 477 | 580 | 1,500 | Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton |
| Berkshire | 958,803 | 1,262 | 487 | 760 | 2,000 | Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham |
| Bristol | 479,024 | 110 | 42 | 4,368 | 11,310 | Bristol |
| Buckinghamshire | 852,589 | 1,874 | 724 | 455 | 1,180 | Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes |
| Cambridgeshire | 906,814 | 3,390 | 1,310 | 268 | 690 | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| Cheshire | 1,108,765 | 2,346 | 906 | 473 | 1,230 | Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, and Warrington |
| City of London | 10,847 | 2.89 | 1.12 | 3,753 | 9,720 | City of London |
| Cornwall | 577,694 | 3,562 | 1,375 | 162 | 420 | Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly |
| Cumbria | 503,033 | 6,768 | 2,613 | 74 | 190 | Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness |
| Derbyshire | 1,066,954 | 2,625 | 1,014 | 406 | 1,050 | Derbyshire and Derby |
| Devon | 1,232,660 | 6,707 | 2,590 | 184 | 480 | Devon, Plymouth and Torbay |
| Dorset | 785,172 | 2,653 | 1,024 | 296 | 770 | Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Durham | 872,075 | 2,676 | 1,033 | 326 | 840 | County Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool and part of Stockton-on-Tees north of the River Tees |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 615,161 | 2,475 | 956 | 249 | 640 | East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston upon Hull |
| East Sussex | 828,685 | 1,791 | 692 | 463 | 1,200 | East Sussex and Brighton and Hove |
| Essex | 1,877,301 | 3,664 | 1,415 | 512 | 1,330 | Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock |
| Gloucestershire | 947,174 | 3,150 | 1,220 | 301 | 780 | Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire |
| Greater London | 8,855,333 | 1,569 | 606 | 5,643 | 14,620 | None (see the London boroughs) |
| Greater Manchester | 2,911,744 | 1,276 | 493 | 2,282 | 5,910 | Greater Manchester |
| Hampshire | 1,877,917 | 3,769 | 1,455 | 498 | 1,290 | Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton |
| Herefordshire | 188,719 | 2,180 | 840 | 87 | 230 | Herefordshire |
| Hertfordshire | 1,204,588 | 1,643 | 634 | 733 | 1,900 | Hertfordshire |
| Isle of Wight | 140,794 | 380 | 150 | 371 | 960 | Isle of Wight |
| Kent | 1,875,893 | 3,738 | 1,443 | 502 | 1,300 | Kent and Medway |
| Lancashire | 1,550,490 | 3,066 | 1,184 | 506 | 1,310 | Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Lancashire |
| Leicestershire | 1,095,554 | 2,156 | 832 | 508 | 1,320 | Leicestershire and Leicester |
| Lincolnshire | 1,103,320 | 6,977 | 2,694 | 158 | 410 | Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire |
| Merseyside | 1,442,081 | 652 | 252 | 2,211 | 5,730 | Merseyside |
| Norfolk | 925,299 | 5,384 | 2,079 | 172 | 450 | Norfolk |
| North Yorkshire | 1,172,860 | 8,654 | 3,341 | 136 | 350 | Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, Redcar and Cleveland, York and part of Stockton-on-Tees south of the River Tees |
| Northamptonshire | 792,421 | 2,364 | 913 | 335 | 870 | North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire |
| Northumberland | 324,362 | 5,020 | 1,940 | 65 | 170 | Northumberland |
| Nottinghamshire | 1,163,335 | 2,159 | 834 | 539 | 1,400 | Nottinghamshire and Nottingham |
| Oxfordshire | 738,276 | 2,605 | 1,006 | 283 | 730 | Oxfordshire |
| Rutland | 41,151 | 382 | 147 | 108 | 280 | Rutland |
| Shropshire | 516,049 | 3,488 | 1,347 | 148 | 380 | Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin |
| Somerset | 991,615 | 4,170 | 1,610 | 238 | 620 | Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and Somerset |
| South Yorkshire | 1,392,105 | 1,552 | 599 | 897 | 2,320 | South Yorkshire |
| Staffordshire | 1,146,249 | 2,714 | 1,048 | 422 | 1,090 | Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent |
| Suffolk | 768,555 | 3,800 | 1,500 | 202 | 520 | Suffolk |
| Surrey | 1,214,540 | 1,663 | 642 | 731 | 1,890 | Surrey |
| Tyne and Wear | 1,141,795 | 540 | 210 | 2,115 | 5,480 | Tyne and Wear |
| Warwickshire | 607,604 | 1,975 | 763 | 308 | 800 | Warwickshire |
| West Midlands | 2,953,816 | 902 | 348 | 3,276 | 8,480 | West Midlands |
| West Sussex | 892,336 | 1,991 | 769 | 448 | 1,160 | West Sussex |
| West Yorkshire | 2,378,148 | 2,029 | 783 | 1,172 | 3,040 | West Yorkshire |
| Wiltshire | 751,542 | 3,485 | 1,346 | 216 | 560 | Swindon and Wiltshire |
| Worcestershire | 609,216 | 1,741 | 672 | 350 | 910 | Worcestershire |
Geographical counties 1889–1974
Northumberland
Durham
Lancashire
Cheshire
Derbs.
Notts.
Lincolnshire
Leics.
Staffs.
Shropshire
Warks.
Northants.
Norfolk
Suffolk
Essex
Herts.
Beds.
Bucks.
Oxon.
Glos.
Somerset
Wiltshire
Berkshire
Kent
Surrey
Hampshire
Dorset
Devon
Cornwall
Heref.
Worcs.
Rutland
Cambs.
Hunts.
London
Middx.
Not shown: City of London
Cumberland
Westmorland
Sussex
Yorkshire
East Riding
North Riding
WestRiding Lieutenancy areas in 1890
After the creation of county councils in 1889, there were counties for judicial and shrieval purposes, counties for lieutenancy purposes, and administrative counties and county boroughs for the purposes of local government.
The 1888 Act used the term 'entire county' to refer to the group of administrative counties and county boroughs created within each judicial county. The Ordnance Survey used the term 'geographical county' to refer to this wider definition of the county.
Yorkshire had three lieutenancies, one for each riding, but was a single judicial county with one sheriff, and was counted as one geographical county by Ordnance Survey.
The counties lost their judicial functions in 1972 under the Courts Act 1971 which abolished the quarter sessions and assizes. Sheriffs continued to be appointed for each county despite the loss of the judicial functions. Certain towns and cities were counties corporate appointing their own sheriffs. The counties corporate were all included in a wider county for lieutenancy purposes, except the City of London which had its own lieutenants.
The geographical counties were relatively stable between 1889 and 1965. There were occasional boundary changes, notably following the Local Government Act 1894 which said that parishes and districts were no longer allowed to straddle county boundaries. After that most boundary changes were primarily to accommodate urban areas which were growing across county boundaries, such as when Caversham was transferred from Oxfordshire to Berkshire as a result of being absorbed into the County Borough of Reading in 1911.
The lieutenancies and judicial / shrieval counties were defined as groups of administrative counties and county boroughs, and so were automatically adjusted if the boundaries of those administrative areas changed. There were two exceptions to this rule (one only briefly). The county borough of Great Yarmouth straddled Norfolk and Suffolk for judicial and lieutenancy purposes until 1891 when it was placed entirely in Norfolk for those purposes. The county borough of Stockport straddled Cheshire and Lancashire for judicial and lieutenancy purposes - it was placed entirely in Lancashire for judicial purposes in 1956 but continued to straddle the two counties for lieutenancy purposes until 1974.
- Geographical, shrieval, lieutenancy and administrative counties 1889–1965
More significant changes to the geographical counties were made in 1965 with the creation of Greater London and of Huntingdon and Peterborough, which resulted in the abolition of the offices of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex, Lord Lieutenant of the County of London, and Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire and the creation of the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London and of the Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdon and Peterborough.
See also
- Counties of England
- Historic counties of England
- Counties in England by population
- List of ceremonial counties in England by GDP
- Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
- List of local governments in the United Kingdom
- Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
- Preserved counties of Wales
Notes
- For example, Cheshire was prior to the 2009 structural changes to local government defined as the non-metropolitan counties of Cheshire, Halton & Warrington; the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire on 1 April that year split into the non-metropolitan counties of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Schedule 1 of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 was duly amended to take into account these changes to local government within the ceremonial county.
- The county corporate of Bristol was created from parts of both Gloucestershire and Somerset, but was entirely included in the Gloucestershire lieutenancy, except for between 1660 and 1672 when it was included in the Somerset lieutenancy.
- Because the City of London has a Commission of Lieutenancy rather than a single lord-lieutenant, it is treated as a county for some purposes of the Lieutenancy Act. (Schedule 1 paragraph 4)
- ^ Uniquely, the district of Stockton-on-Tees is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire.
- The Third Schedule of the 1888 Act lists the county boroughs with the "Name of the County in which, for the purposes of this Act, the Borough is deemed to be situate." Four county boroughs were then listed as deemed to be in more than one county: Bristol, Great Yarmouth, Stockport and York. However, the purposes of the act did not include changing which counties, ridings and counties corporate were included in each lieutenancy area; those were already set by the Militia Act 1882 and were not altered by the 1888 Act, except that if the boundaries of an administrative county changed then so too did any lieutenancy, shrieval or judicial area to match (section 59). For lieutenancy purposes, Bristol was solely in Gloucestershire, and York was solely in the West Riding. As both were counties corporate they had their own sheriffs and served as their own judicial areas. The purposes of the 1888 Act which necessitated county boroughs to be deemed to be situated in a wider county related to certain financial matters rather than lieutenancy.
- Shared with Huntingdonshire
- ^ For judicial and lieutenancy purposes, Stockport south of the River Mersey and River Tame was in Cheshire, north of the rivers in Lancashire. In 1956 the whole borough was placed in Lancashire for judicial purposes whilst continuing to straddle the two counties for the purposes of lieutenancy.
- Sui generis authority created 1890.
- Shared with Cambridgeshire
- ^ The county borough of Great Yarmouth straddled Norfolk and Suffolk for judicial and lieutenancy purposes, with the part north of the River Yare in Norfolk and south of it in Suffolk, until 1891 when the whole borough was placed in Norfolk for those purposes.
- Oxford was briefly included in the administrative county of Oxfordshire created in April 1889, but was made a county borough in November 1889.
References
- Table 2 2011 Census: Usual resident population and population density, local authorities in the United Kingdom UK Census 2011 UK usual resident population Greater London excluding City of London
- "Ceremonial Counties" (PDF). Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Text of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 – Schedule 1: Counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies in Great Britain as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
- "Document (01) The Lord-Lieutenant". council.lancashire.gov.uk. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- "High Sheriff of Lancashire". www.highsheriffoflancashire.co.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- Anson, William R. (1892). The Law and Custom of the Constitution: Part 2. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 236. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- "Milita Act 1796 (37 Geo. 3 c. 3)". The Statutes at Large. 1798. p. 426. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- Lely, John Mounteney (1882). Militia Act. p. 21. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- "Local Government Act 1888", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1888 c. 41 Section 59
- ^ Harley, John Brian (1975). Ordnance Survey Maps: A descriptive manual. Ordnance Survey. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-319-00000-7. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Courts Act 1971", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1971 c. 23, retrieved 18 March 2024
- "No. 45941". The London Gazette. 30 March 1973. p. 4153.
- "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70
- "No. 46116". The London Gazette. 30 October 1973. p. 12880.
- "The Local Government Changes for England (Miscellaneous Provision) Regulations 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1748, retrieved 6 March 2024
- ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1997 c. 23, retrieved 20 March 2024
- "The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1867, retrieved 20 March 2024
- "The Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/507, retrieved 20 March 2024
- "Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996: House of Lords debate 28 February 1996". Hansard. UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- Text of the Lord-Lieutenants – The Local Government Changes for England (Lord-Lieutenants and Sheriffs) Order 1997 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
- Text of The Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009 (SI 2009/837) as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
- ^ "The Local Government (Structural and Boundary Changes) (Supplementary Provision and Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2019".
- ^ The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022
- "Mid-2022 population estimates by Lieutenancy areas (as at 1997) for England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- Section 100
- "1:10,000 map SE82SE, 1971". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 24 March 2024. Note the distinction in the key and on the map between the boundaries of geographical counties and the administrative counties.
- "Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 13) Act 1890" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. p. 13. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- Criminal Justice Administration Act 1956. 30 October 2023. p. 168. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- Lely, John Mounteney (1882). Militia Act. p. 21. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- MacMorran, Alexander; Colquhoun Dill, T. R. (1898). The Local Government Act 1888 etc. with Notes and Index. London: Shaw and Sons. p. 68. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- Reports from Commissioners, Inspectors and Others. Local Government Commission. 1892. p. 164. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
External links
- Text of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
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