A constituency formally named the Northern Division of Durham 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.[2]
This seat was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 when the two divisions were replaced by eight single-member divisions.[3]These were Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Houghton-le-Spring, Jarrow, Mid Durham, North West Durham and South East Durham.[4] In addition there were seven County Durham borough constituencies.
The seat was re-created as a single-seat constituency for the 1983 general election as a result of the redistribution following the changes to local authority boundaries under the Local Government Act 1972. The new constituency comprised those parts of the abolished Chester-le-Street constituency retained within the reconstituted county of Durham, together with those parts of the abolished Consett constituency which had comprised the urban district of Stanley.
Boundaries
From 1832–1868 and this area was left intact until 1885.[clarification needed] Extract from 1837 result: the shorter solid orange area which has an east coast.
1832–1885
The Wards of Chester and Easington, with a place of election at Durham.[2]
Included non-resident 40 shilling freeholders in the parliamentary boroughs of Durham, Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland.
1983–1997
The District of Chester-le-Street; and
the District of Derwentside wards of Annfield Plain, Burnopfield, Catchgate, Craghead, Dipton, Havannah, South Moor, South Stanley, Stanley Hall, and Tanfield.[6]
1997–2010
The District of Chester-le-Street; and
the District of Derwentside wards of Annfield Plain, Catchgate, Craghead, Havannah, South Moor, South Stanley, Stanley Hall, and Tanfield.[7]
Burnopfield and Dipton wards were transferred to the redrawn North West Durham.
2010–present
Map of current boundaries
The District of Chester-le-Street; and
the District of Derwentside wards of Annfield Plain, Catchgate, Craghead and South Stanley, Havannah, South Moor, Stanley Hall, and Tanfield.[8]
The 1997 boundaries were retained despite the official description of the constituency changing slightly in terms of the names of the local authority wards.
The constituency spans the north of County Durham in North East England. It includes the whole of the former Chester-le-Street district and the eastern part of the former Derwentside district. The main population centres (large settlements) are Chester-le-Street, Stanley and Sacriston. The constituency includes the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish.[9]
^A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
^"Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
^ ab"The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. p. 304. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
^"Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports. pp. 156–157.
^"Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports. pp. 156–157.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 4 North East region.
^ abcLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
^ abcdefStooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 97. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^Richardson, M. A. (1844). The Local Historian's Table Book, of Remarkable Occurrences, Historical Facts, Traditions, Legendary and Descriptive Ballads &c, &c, Connected With the Counties of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, and Durham. London: J. R. Smith. p. 373. Retrieved 9 April 2019 – via Google Books.
^Escott, Margaret (2009). Fisher, D. R. (ed.). "WILLIAMSON, Sir Hedworth, 7th bt. (1797–1861), of Whitburn Hall, nr. Sunderland, co. Dur". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
^Turner, Michael J. (2004). Black, Jeremy (ed.). Independent Radicalism in Early Victorian Britain. Westport: Praeger. p. 237. ISBN 0-275-97386-7. LCCN 2004044233. Retrieved 14 July 2018 – via Google Books.
^"Sunderland Election". Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties. 24 December 1847. p. 5. Retrieved 14 July 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. p. 185. Retrieved 9 April 2019 – via Google Books.
^"BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Durham North". BBC News.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ abcdefghijklmnopCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 382–383. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^"Pending Elections: North Durham". The Globe. 26 August 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"To the Electors of the Northern Division of the County of Durham". Jarrow Express. 14 February 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 29 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Representation of North Durham". Newcastle Journal. 9 June 1865. p. 2. Retrieved 10 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.