Correct nomenclature for Counties (!)

[Necromancer]

and then theres Hampshire - old name Southampton(shire) .......

[SooCatt]

and then theres Hampshire - old name Southampton(shire) .......

Otherwise known as Hants of course
(never did understand that one - why not Hamps?  Where did the 't' come from.

Bet you wish you'd never started this thread Paul 

[RJ_Paton]

An excellent site for this is the "Association of British Counties" at
http://www.abcounties.co.uk/

[Berlin-Bob]

Otherwise known as Hants of course
(never did understand that one -

neither did others:
Topic: What's Hantshaving??
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,46002.15.html  (*)

and
http://www.jimella.nildram.co.uk/hants.htm#origins

Derived from the 9th century name Hamtunscir, meaning "Shire based on Hamtun", where Hamtun meant the city now known as Southampton.

Researchers should be aware that the county of Hampshire is often referred to in old documents as The County of Southampton, and that it is frequently abbreviated (now and in the past) to Hants.

Bob

(*) Arranroots supplied an interesting link there,
List of generic forms in British place names
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_forms_in_British_place_names


ps. I've now merged this with a similar thread, so check out the first few entries.

[snaggletooth]

Thanks to everyone. If I wasn't confused before... :-)

Here are my problem ones

Badminton Gloucester England
Canterbury England
Croydon London England
Devonshire England
Hampshire England
Henstridge Bowden Somerset England
Hertfordshire England
Ilminster England
Kingswood Huntingdonshire England
Liverpool Lancashire England
London England
Mansfield Nottingham England
Marylebone London England
Middlesea Westminster London England
Nottinghamshire England
Shropshire England
St Giles London England
Wraysbury Buckingham England

Some of these seem OK, but just to be sure, would anyone like to correct me? (teach you lot to send me off to read 250 pages of ancient history...)

Paul
Australia

[Necromancer]

[Great or Little] Badminton GloucesterSHIRE England
Canterbury, KENT England
Croydon SURREY England
Devonshire England - fine
Hampshire England - fine
Henstridge Bowden, Somerset(SHIRE) England
Hertfordshire England - fine
Ilminster, SOMERSET(SHIRE) England
Kingswood Huntingdonshire England - fine
Liverpool Lancashire England - fine
London England - up to early 1870s, most of what you wopuld call the CITY of London was Middlesex north of the river ...
Mansfield NottinghamSHIRE England
Marylebone (Middx pre-1870s) London England
Middlesea - probably Middlesex - Westminster London England
Nottinghamshire England -fine
Shropshire (SALOP pre 1850s) England - fine
St Giles MIDDLESEX pre 1870 London England
Wraysbury BuckinghamSHIRE England

HTH

[Little Nell]

And the only English county which can legitimately have county in its name is Durham as in County Durham. 

Please, never say "Middlesex County" or "Kent County" etc - it is just not correct. 

Nell

[Shropshire Lass]

There's a straightforward list on  www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/  of the historical counties.  I don't think there's much logic about it - just tradition.

Monica


Moderator Comment: topics merged

[behindthefrogs]

The answer really depends on the history of the county.  If originally it was named after a town or city, usually the original adminstrative centre then it will terminate in "shire".  The town name sometimes is corrupted (e.g. Chester for Cheshire, Lancaster for Lancashire)

If it has other origins then it usually doesn't end in "shire" but occasionally shire gets tagged on (e.g. Devon).  Some counties are named after very ancient regions like Essex and Middlesex. 

You also need to be aware that some areas which end in "shire" have never been counties but are collections of Hundreds (which were the original divisions of counties used up to 1888 and had significance in administration of the law).