Creation The constituency was created for the
1885 general election by the
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as one of eight new single-member divisions of the county of Durham, replacing the two 2-member seats of
North Durham and
South Durham. The seat included the towns of
Houghton-le-Spring,
Hetton-le-Hole and
Seaham and areas to the south and west of the borough of Sunderland. The majority now lies within the
City of Sunderland in the metropolitan county of
Tyne and Wear.
Boundaries 1885–1918 • The Sessional Divisions of Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland and Seaham Harbour (part); and • The Municipal Borough of Sunderland
1918–1950 • The Urban District of Houghton-le-Spring; • the Rural Districts of South Shields and Sunderland; and • part of the Rural District of Houghton-le-Spring.
Rural/coastal areas between South Shields and Sunderland, including the Boldons, transferred from Jarrow. Lost Hetton-le-Hole to the new Durham Division of County Durham and Seaham to the new Seaham Division. 1950–1955 • The Urban Districts of Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham; and • the Rural District of Sunderland.
Seaham (including Seaham Harbour) transferred back from the abolished Seaham Division. Lost areas to the Borough Constituencies of South Shields, Sunderland North and Sunderland South as a result of the expansion of the respective County Boroughs. Remaining northern areas, largely comprising the Urban District of Boldon (which had largely succeeded the abolished Rural District of South Shields), transferred to Jarrow. 1955–1974 • The Urban Districts of Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham; and • the Rural District of Sunderland except the parts of the parishes of Ford, Herrington, Hylton, and Silksworth added to the County Borough of Sunderland by the
Sunderland Extension Act 1950 (
14 Geo. 6. c. liv).
The Urban District of Hetton transferred back from Durham and northern parts of the Rural District of Easington, including East Murton, transferred from Easington. Parts comprising the former Rural District of Sunderland, which had been largely absorbed by the County Borough, were transferred to Sunderland North (Hylton) and Sunderland South (Ryhope and Silksworth). Abolition The seat was abolished for the
1983 general election as a result of the periodic review of parliamentary constituencies following the re-organisation of local government under the
Local Government Act 1972. On abolition, Seaham and East Murton, which had been retained within the county of Durham and comprised about 40% of the electorate, were returned to the Easington constituency. The remainder, including Houghton-le-Spring and Hetton-le-Hole, was included in the new constituency of
Houghton and Washington in the county of Tyne and Wear. == Members of Parliament ==