South Durham (UK Parliament constituency)

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.

Boundaries

In 1832 the historic county of Durham, in north east England, was split for parliamentary purposes into two county divisions. These were the South division (with a place of election at Darlington) and North Durham (where voting took place at the city of Durham). Each division returned two members to Parliament.

There were no parliamentary boroughs enclaved in the area of the South division, between 1832 and 1885, so no non-resident 40 shilling freeholders voted in the county constituency. (Source: Stooks Smith).

History

In 1885 this division was abolished, when the North and South Durham county divisions were replaced by eight new single-member county constituencies. 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.

Members of Parliament

See also

• List of former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies

Election results

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
• 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)