Shires of Virginia
Encyclopedia
The eight Shires of Virginia were formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony. These shire
s were based on a form of local government used in England
at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later. As of 2007, five of the eight original shires were considered still extant in the Commonwealth of Virginia in essentially their same political form, although some boundaries and several names have changed in the almost 400 years since their creation.
. Eight shire
s were named by the House of Burgesses
, each with its own local officers. These shires were officially redesignated as counties
only a few years later. There were also several early name changes, notably Warrosquyoake, a Native American
name with varied spellings that became Isle of Wight. Also, during the English Civil War
, Charles River County and the Charles River were changed to York County and York River
, respectively.
The original Shires of Virginia were:
Several of the shire names included the earlier names of the 4 "citties" that had been created earlier in 1619. When the names changed from "shire" to "county", the results created some confusion. This is due to seemingly contradictory names, such as "James City County" and "Charles City County" (i.e., which is it, county or city? In Virginia, with the unusual status of independent cities
, a locality can be a city or a county, but cannot be both).
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
s were based on a form of local government used in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later. As of 2007, five of the eight original shires were considered still extant in the Commonwealth of Virginia in essentially their same political form, although some boundaries and several names have changed in the almost 400 years since their creation.
History
In 1634, a new system of local government was created in the Virginia Colony by order of King Charles I of EnglandCharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. Eight shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
s were named by the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
, each with its own local officers. These shires were officially redesignated as counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
only a few years later. There were also several early name changes, notably Warrosquyoake, a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
name with varied spellings that became Isle of Wight. Also, during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Charles River County and the Charles River were changed to York County and York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
, respectively.
The original Shires of Virginia were:
- Accomac ShireAccomac ShireAccomac Shire was established in the Virginia Colony by the House of Burgesses in 1634 under the direction of King Charles I. It was one of the original eight shires of Virginia. The shire's name comes from the Native American word Accawmack....
(now Northampton CountyNorthampton County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2010, there were 12,389 people, 5,321 households, and 3,543 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile . There were 6,547 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
) - Charles City ShireCharles City ShireCharles City Shire was formed in 1634 in the Virginia colony. It was named for Charles I, the then King of England, and was renamed Charles City County in 1637.-History:...
(now Charles City CountyCharles City County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 6,926 people, 2,670 households, and 1,975 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 2,895 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
) - Charles River ShireCharles River ShireCharles River Shire was one of eight shires of Virginia created in the Virginia Colony in 1634.During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, English settlers and explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads...
(now York CountyYork County, VirginiaYork County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
) - Elizabeth City ShireElizabeth City ShireElizabeth City Shire was one of eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634. The shire and the Elizabeth River were named for Elizabeth of Bohemia, daughter of King James I....
(extinct, incorporated into the City of HamptonHampton, VirginiaHampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
) - Henrico CityHenrico City (Virginia Company)Henrico City was one of four incorporations established in the Virginia Colony in 1619 North America by the proprietor, the Virginia Company. The plantations and developments were divided into four "incorporations" or "citties", as they were called. These were Charles City, Elizabeth City, Henrico...
(now Henrico CountyHenrico County, VirginiaHenrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
) - James City ShireJames City ShireJames City Shire was formed in the British colony of Virginia in 1634.During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of Jamestown in 1607, English settlers and explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads....
(now James City CountyJames City County, VirginiaJames City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
) - Warwick River ShireWarwick River ShireWarwick River Shire was one of eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634. It was located on the Virginia Peninsula on the northern shore of the James River between Hampton Roads and the Jamestown Settlement....
(extinct - incorporated into the City of Newport NewsNewport News, VirginiaNewport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
) - Warrosquyoake ShireWarrosquyoake ShireWarrosquoake Shire was officially formed in 1634 in the Virginia colony, but had already been known as "Warascoyack County" before this...
(now Isle of Wight CountyIsle of Wight County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2010, there were 35,270 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
)
Several of the shire names included the earlier names of the 4 "citties" that had been created earlier in 1619. When the names changed from "shire" to "county", the results created some confusion. This is due to seemingly contradictory names, such as "James City County" and "Charles City County" (i.e., which is it, county or city? In Virginia, with the unusual status of independent cities
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
, a locality can be a city or a county, but cannot be both).
- The oldest county, James City, which includes the location of the original 1607 settlement at JamestownJamestown, VirginiaJamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
, apparently attempted to address the potential confusion long ago, as the legal name is the "County of James City."
- In 1952, the citizens of the now-extinct "Elizabeth City County"Elizabeth City County, VirginiaElizabeth City County was a county in southeastern Virginia from 1634 to 1952. Originally created in 1634 as Elizabeth River Shire, it was one of eight shires created in the Virginia Colony by order of the King of England. In 1636, it was subdivided, and the portion north of the harbor of Hampton...
voted to be consolidated with the independent cityIndependent cityAn independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of HamptonHampton, VirginiaHampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
. They also voted to assume the better-known and less cumbersome name of Hampton.