half-shire

Updated: May 18, 2025

The shire town is that in which the court-house and other county buildings are situate, and where the principal officers of the county transact their business. In a few counties there are two towns in which the courts are held alternately. Hence each division is called a half-shire. Counties and towns are bodies politic, or bodies corporate. Corporate is from the Latin, corpus, which means body.

Andrew W. (Andrew White) Young - The Government Class Book: Designed for the Instruction of Youth in the Principles: of Constitutional Government and the Rights and Duties of: Citizens.