Northumberland, which comprehended the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham, Cumberland, West moreland, Northumberland, and Scotland, as far as the Frith of Forth, was founded by Ida, in the year 547, and terminated in the year 827.
Essex, or the kingdom of the East Saxons, compre hended the counties of Essex, Middlesex, and part of Hertfordshire : it was founded by Erchewin, in the year 527, and ended in the year 827.
Mercia, which comprehended Gloucestershire, Here fordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Leicester shire, Rutlandshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Ox fordshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Shropshire, Not tinghamshire, Cheshire, and the remainder of Hertford shire, was founded by Cridda, in the year 582, and ter minated in the year 827.
The present division of England into counties or shires, owes its origin to Alfred : these departments were denominated counties, because each of them, in the time of the Saxons, was governed by a count, who by that people was styled ealdorman, or alderman ; an appellation which seems to have been derived from the age of the persons who were first honoured with this title : after the Danish conquest, the appellation Earl, from the Danish Jar!, was substituted instead of Eal dorman. At first the government and management of the county was exercised by the Earl himself; but, in process of time, the dignity and title becoming heredi tary, the government of the county devolved upon the Earl's deputy (who is still called in Latin Vice-Comes), to whom the name of Shit c-reeve, Shrieve, or Sheriff, was given: this word signifies the manager of the shire or division, (the Saxon word shire evidently being con nected, in etymology and meaning, with the modern word share): reeve seems to be the same as the Sco:ch word grieve, which is still applied to the manager of a colliery, or to the person who governs and superintends the reapers during harvest.
According to the division of England by Alfred, it contained but 32 counties, Durham and Lancashire be ing included in that of Yorkshire ; Cornwall in De vonshire; Rutland in Northamptonshire; Monmouth shire was deemed part of Wales; and Northumberland, Westmoreland, and Cumberland, were subject to the Scots.
During the Norman period of English history, there were few alterations of consequence in the geography of England ; Cumberland and Westmoreland, indeed, were wrested from the Scots, but their possession was still precarious and uncertain; the provinces north of the Humber, which, after the extinction of the Danish kingdom of Northumbria, had for some time preserved a dubious independence, were gradually subdued and incorporated with the monarchy ; but Northumberland, liable to the inroads and devastation of the Scots, espe cially in its northern parts, was still, frequently, only a nominal part of the monarchy.
The division of Wales into its present counties, took place at a comparatively late period of our history: long before the conquest of that country, indeed, by Edward the First, their princes did homage to the crown of England; but by that monarch, who may justly be stiled the conquerer of Wales, the line of their ancient princes was abolished, and the title of PI;Ince of Wales was given to the king of England's eldest son. In the 10th of Edward I. the statute of Rhudhlan was passed, by which it was declared, that the territory of Wales, with its inhabitants, which had been formerly subject to the king by feudal right, was entirely an nexed to the crown of the kingdom of England, as part of that monarchy. Notwithstanding this statute, how ever, Wales retained many of its peculiar privileges and immunities, which were not abolished till the reign of Henry VIII. By the statute 27th of that monarch, chapter 26, A. D. 1535, entitled, an " act for laws and justice to be ministered in Wales, in like form as it is in this realm," it is enacted, that the dominion of Wales shall be for ever united to the kingdom of England ;— that all Welshmen born, shall have the same privileges and liberties as the rest of the king's subjects ;—that lands in Wales shall be inheritable, according to the Eng lish tenures and rules of descent ;—(before the passing of this act, their lands were divided equally among all the male issue, and did not descend to the eldest son alone) ; that the laws of England, and no other, shall be used in Wales ; besides several other regulations and enactments of inferior moment and interest.