This is a list of historic counties of England by area as at the 1871 census.Results of 1871 Census cited in Encyclopædia Britannica (1890), vol. 8, p.220 - Ancient county data Note that Monmouthshire was considered to be part of England at the time.
RankCountyArea1Yorkshire2Lincolnshire3Devon4Norfolk5Northumberland6Lancashire7Hampshire8Essex9Somerset10Kent11Cumberland12Suffolk13Sussex14Cornwall15Wiltshire16Shropshire17Gloucestershire18Staffordshire19Cheshire20Derbyshire21Dorset22Northamptonshire23Durham24Warwickshire25Herefordshire26Cambridgeshire27Nottinghamshire28Leicestershire29Westmorland30Surrey31Oxfordshire32Worcestershire33Buckinghamshire34Berkshire35Hertfordshire36Monmouthshire37Bedfordshire38Huntingdonshire39Middlesex40Rutland
References