Creation The constituency was created by the
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the
North Durham 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.
Boundaries • The Sessional Divisions of Castle Eden (exclusive of any part of the parish of Shadforth), Darlington, Seaham Harbour (part), Stockton-on-Tees, and West Hartlepool; and • the Municipal Boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool, and Stockton-on-Tees.
See map on Vision of Britain website. NB: 1) Boundary Commission proposed name was "North Tees". 2) Included only non-resident freeholders in the parliamentary boroughs of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees and The Hartlepools.
Abolition The seat was abolished for the
1918 general election, when its contents were distributed as follows: • northern areas, now part of the Rural District of Easington to the new constituency of
Seaham; and • southern areas, now part of the Rural Districts of Darlington, Hartlepool, Sedgefield and Stockton (including
Billingham) to the new constituency of
Sedgefield. == Members of Parliament ==