SHIRE, n. In England, a division of territory, otherwise called a county. The shire was originally a division of the kingdom under the jurisdiction of an earl or count, whose authority was entrusted to the sherif. [shire-reeve.] On this officer the goverment ultimately devolved. In the United States, the corresponding division of a state is called a county, but we retain shire in the in the compound half-shire; as when the county court is held in two towns in the same county alternately, we call one of the divisions a half-shire. In some states, shire as the constituent part of the name of a county, as Berkshire, Hampshire, in Massachusetts. These being the names established by law, we cannot say, the county of Berkshire, and we cannot with propriety say, the caounty of Berks, for there is no county in Massa chusetts thus named. |
Why Donate?
Here are a number of reasons:
To indicate your approval.
To express your appreciation.
To help pay for website expenses and keep this website online.
Donate Using PayPal
If you have a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) or a PayPal account, donating is easy. Just click the dollar amount below to donate:
Donations from Outside of the United States
We welcome donations from anywhere in the world and in any currency. PayPal accepts a number of international currencies.
Donations by Other Methods
If you wish to donate via direct bank deposit or mail a cheque or money order, please
email me
.
|
| Firefox Plugin |
| I | S |
 |
1828 Webster's |
Add Search
To Your Site |
[ + ] |
|
|
|
In celebration of Noah Webster's Birthday (October 16, 2009), we have prepared an updated website. 
