A shire town is another term for county seat or county town, meaning the place a county's government is based. A county seat, in the United States, is a town which forms the seat of government of a county. ... A county town is the location of the administrative headquarters of a county. ...
The term's only official use is for the capital city or town of a county in the U.S. state of Vermont, as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in contrast to the use of "county seat" elsewhere in the United States. In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital â although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... 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. ... State nickname: The Green Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Governor Jim Douglas (R) Official languages None Area 24,923 km² (45th) - Land 23,974 km² - Water 949 km² (3. ... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th) - Land 20,317 km² - Water 7,043 km² (25. ...
The landlord of a franchise (be it manor or town) did not get involved in the daily administration of his property and its inhabitants; he appointed officials to undertake duties such as collection of gable rents or the supervision of services due him from his tenants.
The town community is to some degree a later expression of the folkmoot and is often seen acting as an entity, before the law formally recognized it as corporate entity.
Towns had their own version of the moot, which had aspects both of court and of council meeting; the various names by which versions of this was known in different towns included burhgemot, portmoot, portmanmoot, assembly, and congregation.