South Durham (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

South Durham, also known as the Southern Division of Durham, was a special area in the United Kingdom. It used to elect people to the House of Commons, which is like the main meeting place for lawmakers in the UK. This area was part of the UK Parliament. Two people, called Members of Parliament (MPs), were chosen from this area to represent its people. They were elected using a system where voters could pick two candidates.

A Look Back at South Durham

South Durham was first created for the 1832 general election. This happened because of the Great Reform Act. This important law changed how areas elected their MPs. Before this, the larger Durham area was split into two parts: a northern part and a southern part. Each of these new parts got to elect two MPs.

The way MPs were chosen was called the "bloc vote" system. This meant that voters could cast two votes, one for each of the two available spots. This system was used for all elections in South Durham.

Changes to the Area

South Durham stopped being an election area in 1885. This change happened because of another law called the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. This act made big changes to how the UK was divided for elections.

Instead of two large areas (North and South Durham), the county was split into eight smaller areas. Each of these new areas elected only one MP. Some of these new areas included Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, and South East Durham. There were also seven other smaller town areas in County Durham that elected their own MPs.

Where Was South Durham?

From 1832 to 1885, the South Durham election area covered specific parts of County Durham. It included the areas known as the Wards of Darlington and Stockton. The main place where elections were held was in the town of Darlington.

After 1868, the area also included some people who owned land but didn't live in the new parliamentary towns. These towns were Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees, and The Hartlepools. These new towns were created by the Reform Act 1867.

Who Represented South Durham?

Many different people served as MPs for South Durham over the years. They belonged to different political groups, like the Whigs, the Conservatives, and the Liberals. Each election could bring new faces or keep the same ones.

Here is a list of the MPs who represented South Durham: