Freeholders: It’s a New Jersey thing
While every county in the country has a legislative branch of elected officials who overlook the operations of the county budgets such as parks, jails, roads, social services and more, they're usually called county commissioners or executives. The term "freeholder" is unique to the Garden State, and dates back to the state's first constitution, written in 1776, that declared a county representative must be worth "fifty pounds proclamation money, clear estate in the same and have resided in the county in which they claim a vote for twelve months immediately preceding the election." Clear estate means owning a property outright, and is also called a "freehold," so only those who owned land could vote or be elected to office.
The name stuck, and NJ Association of Counties Executive Director John Donnadio said while it might have something to do with the public's lack of awareness of a freeholder, it's unlikely to change soon.
"There's been talk, years back, about changing the name, but a lot of the freeholders are resistant to that because of the historical context," Donnadio said.
The Valyrians had no kings but instead called themselves the Freehold because all the citizenry who held land had a voice. —The World of Ice and Fire
Valyria at the zenith of its power was neither a kingdom nor an empire... or at least it had neither a king nor an emperor. It was more akin to the old Roman Republic, I suppose. In theory, the franchise included all "free holders," that is freeborn landowners. Of course in practice wealthy, highborn, and sorcerously powerful families came to dominate. —GRRM
George R.R. Martin was born September 20, 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey. —georgerrmartin.com
Huh.
