The term "county clerk" has been commonly applied, in several English-speaking countries, to an influential employee of a county administration. Originally, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count (in Great Britain, an earl, though the original earldoms covered larger areas) by reason of that office. ...

In the days when New Zealand had counties (1876-1989), the chief administrative officer was legally designated "County Clerk" until in the 1970s the city and county administrative procedures were largely merged and the Local Government Act 1974 declared that every such person (along with his or her urban counterpart the town clerk) should henceforth be styled the "Chief Administrative Officer". This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... The term town clerk has been commonly applied, in several English-speaking countries, to an influential employee of a city or borough or town administration. ...