South Durham, formally the Southern Division of Durham and often referred to as Durham Southern, was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election.
History The constituency was created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election, when the former Durham constituency was split into the northern and southern divisions, each electing two members using the bloc vote system.
The seat was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 when the two divisions were replaced by eight single-member divisions. These were Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Houghton-le-Spring, Jarrow, Mid Durham, North West Durham and South East Durham. In addition there were seven County Durham borough constituencies.
Boundaries 1832–1885
The Wards of Darlington and Stockton, with a place of election at Darlington.
See map on Vision of Britain website.
From 1868, included non-resident 40 shilling freeholders in the parliamentary boroughs of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees and The Hartlepools, which were created by the Reform Act 1867.
Members of Parliament ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1832Joseph Pease Whig John Bowes Whig 1841 Lord Harry Vane Whig 1847James Farrer Conservative 1857 Henry Pease Whig 1859James Farrer Conservative Liberal 1865 Joseph Pease LiberalCharles Surtees Conservative 1868Frederick Beaumont Liberal 1880Hon. Frederick Lambton Liberal1885Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished
Election results Elections in the 1830s
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1880s
See also History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Durham List of former United Kingdom Parliament constituencies
References
Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972) British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977) The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976) Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)