Editing Halifax County, Nova Scotia (section)

==History==
Deriving its name from [[George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax]] (1716–1771), Halifax County was established by order-in-council on August 17, 1759. The boundaries of four other counties&nbsp;– [[Annapolis County, Nova Scotia|Annapolis]], [[Kings County, Nova Scotia|Kings]], [[Cumberland County, Nova Scotia|Cumberland]] and [[Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia|Lunenburg]]&nbsp;– were specifically defined at that time, with Halifax County comprising all the part of peninsular Nova Scotia that was not within their limits.

Following the end of the [[Seven Years' War]] in 1763, [[Cape Breton Island]] was formally annexed to Nova Scotia until 1784 when it became a separate colony. From 1763 to 1784, Cape Breton Island formed part of Halifax County.

Cape Breton Island ceased being a separate colony and was reannexed to Nova Scotia in 1820.  The boundary of Halifax County was further modified in 1822. That part of St. Mary's Township (established in 1818) which had been in Halifax County was annexed to and included within [[Sydney County, Nova Scotia|Sydney County]]; "Sydney County" was a historic county that included all of Cape Breton Island and present-day [[Antigonish County, Nova Scotia|Antigonish]] and [[Guysborough County, Nova Scotia|Guysborough]] counties.

The dividing line between the Districts of Halifax and Colchester, within Halifax County, was confirmed and established on May 3, 1828. In 1835, Halifax County was divided and the counties of [[Colchester County, Nova Scotia|Colchester]] and [[Pictou County, Nova Scotia|Pictou]] were created out of parts of what had previously been Halifax County. Eventually in 1880 the boundary between the Counties of Halifax and Colchester was fixed.