Query: What was superfluous 
Context: Although "Somersetshire" was in common use as an alternative name for the county, it went out of fashion in the late 19th century, and is no longer used possibly due to the adoption of "Somerset" as the county's official name after the establishment of the county council in 1889. As with other counties not ending in "shire," the suffix was superfluous, as there was no need to differentiate between the county and a town within it.