# South East Durham (UK Parliament constituency)

South East Durham was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election between 1885 and 1918.

## History
### 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

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Henry Havelock-Allan | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Henry Havelock-Allan | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1892 | Joseph Richardson | Liberal |
| | 1895 | Henry Havelock-Allan | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1898 by-election | Joseph Richardson | Liberal |
| | 1900 | Frederick Lambton | Liberal Unionist |
| | Jan. 1910 | Evan Hayward | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Havelock-Allan | 5,603 | 53.6 | |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 4,854 | 46.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 749 | 7.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,457 | 79.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,176 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Havelock-Allan | 4,984 | 55.2 | +8.8 |
| | Liberal | Hugh Fenwick Boyd | 4,045 | 44.8 | −8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 939 | 10.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,029 | 68.5 | −10.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,176 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.8 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Richardson | 5,560 | 50.7 | +5.9 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Havelock-Allan | 5,396 | 49.3 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 164 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,956 | 77.2 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,199 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +5.9 | |
General election 1895: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Havelock-Allan | 5,978 | 50.5 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Richardson | 5,864 | 49.5 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 114 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,842 | 80.5 | +3.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,702 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.2 | |
1898 South East Durham by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Richardson | 6,286 | 51.1 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Frederick Lambton | 6,011 | 48.9 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 275 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,297 | 82.8 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,853 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +1.6 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Frederick Lambton | 6,198 | 52.9 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Richardson | 5,524 | 47.1 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 674 | 5.8 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,722 | 79.1 | −1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,819 | | |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
General election 1906: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Frederick Lambton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold | Liberal Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Evan Hayward | 9,298 | 57.5 | New |
| | Conservative | Frederick Lambton | 6,860 | 42.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,438 | 15.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,158 | 85.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,880 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | N/A | |
General election December 1910: South East Durham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Evan Hayward | 8,203 | 53.9 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Rowland Burdon | 7,021 | 46.1 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,182 | 7.8 | −7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,224 | 80.6 | −5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,880 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −3.6 | |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Liberal: Evan Hayward
* Unionist: Rowland Burdon
* Labour: