[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.

[11] Despite the loss of their functions, sheriffs continued to be appointed to the former judicial counties up until 1974.

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.

[11] Sheriffs continued to be appointed for each county despite the loss of the judicial functions.

After that most boundary changes were primarily to accommodate urban areas which were growing across county boundaries, such as when Caversham was transferred from Oxfordshire to Berkshire as a result of being absorbed into the County Borough of Reading in 1911.