Cumberland was a historic county of north west England, on the border with Scotland, from the twelfth century to 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 (excluding Carlisle from 1915) and now forms part of Cumbria. Early history and formation of county What was to become Cumberland had a complicated political history prior to the twelfth century. The first record of the term "Cumberland" appears in 945, when the Anglo Saxon Chronicle recorded that the area was ceded to Malcol… (More on Cumberland)