Title used in documents and chronicles for the holder of office in a shire or *county; the Latin word from which the title count derived. In its original use, comes was used of a companion of the emperor, or someone who had specific duties in the imperial court, e.g. *comes stabuli. Later, in England, the count had charge of a county, responsible, in the king's name, for law and financial matters, as well as military affairs. [< Lat. comes = an attendant or companion] -
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.