Named after Lord Shelburne, who was Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1782-1783, Shelburne County was established in 1784. The boundaries of Shelburne County were established by Governor and Council on December 16, 1785. In 1824, at a time when the lines of a number of counties were being cut out and marked, the boundary between Queens and Shelburne Counties was surveyed. In 1836 Shelburne County was divided into two separate and distinct counties with Yarmouth County being formed out of what had been part of Shelburne County. In 1854, Shelburne County was divided into two districts - the District of Shelburne and the District of Barrington.