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Otis, James

(Encyclopedia)Otis, James, 1725–83, American colonial political leader, b. Barnstable co., Mass. A lawyer first in Plymouth and then in Boston, he won great distinction and served (1756–61) as advocate general ...

Sutherland

(Encyclopedia)Sutherland or Sutherlandshire, former county, N Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, Sutherland became (1975) part of the new Highland region (now a council area). ...

new towns

(Encyclopedia)new towns, planned urban communities in Great Britain, developed by long-term loans from the central government and first authorized by the New Towns Act of 1946. The chief purpose of the act was to r...

Baldwin, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Baldwin, Robert, 1804–58, Canadian statesman, leader of the movement for representative government in Canada, b. York (now Toronto), Ont. His father, William Warren Baldwin (1775–1844), was a lead...

Nairnshire

(Encyclopedia)Nairnshire or Nairn, former county, NE Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, Nairnshire became (1975) part of the new Highland region (now a council area). ...

Ross and Cromarty

(Encyclopedia)Ross and Cromarty, former county, N Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, Ross and Cromarty was divided between the new Highland and Western Isles regions (now council areas). ...

civil rights

(Encyclopedia)civil rights, rights that a nation's inhabitants enjoy by law. The term is broader than “political rights,” which refer only to rights devolving from the franchise and are held usually only by a c...

Dumfriesshire

(Encyclopedia)Dumfriesshire or Dumfries, former county, SW Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, Dumfriesshire became (1975) part of the new Dumfries and Galloway region (now a council area). ...

Kirkcudbrightshire

(Encyclopedia)Kirkcudbrightshire or Kirkcudbright, former county, SW Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, Kirkcudbrightshire became (1975) part of the new Dumfries and Galloway region (now a council ar...

Wigtownshire

(Encyclopedia)Wigtownshire or Wigtown, former county, SW Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, Wigtownshire became (1975) part of the new Dumfries and Galloway region (now a council area). ...