On July 21, 1762 the Lieutenant Governor and Council of Nova Scotia declared that "the Townships of Liverpool, Barrington and Yarmouth together with the intermediate lands should be erected into a county by the name of Queens County". Lunenburg was reduced in size when Queens County was established.
In 1784 Queens County was diminished in extent with the establishment of Shelburne County. Shelburne County was cut off from Queens County. The boundaries of the new county and the boundaries of the older county were established by Order-in-Council December 16, 1785.