Ceremonial counties of England
[4] Shrieval counties have the same boundaries and serve a similar purpose, being the areas to which high sheriffs are appointed.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.[6] Certain towns and cities were counties corporate, which gave them the right to appoint their own sheriffs and hold their own courts.In 1889 elected county councils were established under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over the administrative functions of the quarter sessions.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.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.[26] The counties lost their judicial functions in 1972 under the Courts Act 1971 which abolished the quarter sessions and assizes.
Preserved counties of WalesHistoric counties of EnglandNorthumberlandDurhamLancashire CheshireDerbs.Notts. LincolnshireLeics.Staffs. ShropshireWarks.Northants. Norfolk Suffolk EssexHerts.Bucks. Somerset Wiltshire Berkshire Surrey Hampshire Dorset Devon CornwallHeref.Worcs.BristolEast Ridingof YorkshireRutlandCambs.GreaterLondonCity of LondonTyne &WearCumbriaNorth YorkshireSouthYorks.WestYorkshireGreaterManc.MerseysideEastSussexWestSussex Isle ofWightWestMidlandsEnglandGreater Londonlord-lieutenantscounties of Englandlocal governmentmonarchLieutenancies Act 1997Sheriffs Act 1887militiasherifflord-lieutenantcounties corporateLondoncommission of lieutenancyLord MayorSheriff of Yorkshireridingscounty councilsLocal Government Act 1888quarter sessionscounty boroughsParts of Lincolnshireadministrative countyOrdnance SurveyCounty of Londonmetropolitannon-metropolitanClevelandHumbersideunitary authoritiesList of shrievaltiesshrieval countieshigh sherifftwo sheriffsLocal Government Act 1972Metropolitan and non-metropolitan countiesunitary authorityBedfordshireBedfordCentral BedfordshireBerkshireBracknell ForestReadingSloughWest BerkshireWindsor and MaidenheadWokinghamBuckinghamshireMilton KeynesCambridgeshirePeterboroughCheshireCheshire EastCheshire West and ChesterHaltonWarringtonCornwallIsles of ScillyCumberlandWestmorland and FurnessDerbyshirePlymouthTorbayDorsetBournemouth, Christchurch and PooleCounty DurhamDarlingtonHartlepoolStockton-on-TeesRiver TeesEast Riding of YorkshireKingston upon HullEast SussexBrighton and HoveSouthend-on-SeaThurrockGloucestershireSouth GloucestershireLondon boroughsGreater Manchester