Chester-le-Street
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Chester-le-Street in County Durham, boundaries 1974-83
1885–1983
Seatsone
Created fromNorth Durham
Replaced byNorth Durham, Houghton & Washington and Blaydon[1]

Chester-le-Street was a county constituency centred on the town of Chester-le-Street in County Durham. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983.

History

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.[2] The seat covered a large area of north Durham, including areas which are now part of the Borough of Gateshead (Ryton, Blaydon and Whickham) and the City of Sunderland (Washington) in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear.

Boundaries

1885–1918

NB included only non-resident freeholders in the parliamentary borough of Gateshead.

See map on Vision of Britain website.[3]

1918–1950

The constituency was divided in two, with the areas comprising the urban districts of Ryton, Blaydon and Whickham forming the bulk of the new constituency of Blaydon. Gained Witton Gilbert from the abolished constituency of Mid Durham.

1950–1983

Minor changes to reflect changes in local authority boundaries; the urban district of Washington had been created in 1922 from the rural district of Chester-le-Street.

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, the area which had comprised the new town of Washington was included in the new constituency of Houghton and Washington; the parishes of Birtley and Lamesley were transferred to Blaydon; and the remainder, comprising about half the electorate, becoming part of the re-established seat of North Durham.[6]

Political history

Chester-le-Street and its successor constituency (North Durham) have over 100 years of continuous Labour representation.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party Notes
1885 James Joicey Liberal
1906 John Taylor Labour Resigned October 1919
1919 by-election Jack Lawson Labour
1950 Patrick Bartley Labour Died June 1956
1956 by-election Norman Pentland Labour Died October 1972
1973 by-election Giles Radice Labour
1983 constituency abolished: see North Durham

Election results

Elections in the 1880s

Joicey
General election 1885: Chester-le-Street [7][8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Joicey 4,409 44.0
Independent Liberal R Lloyd Jones 3,606 36.9
Conservative Walter Ashworth 2,018 20.1
Majority 803 7.1
Turnout 10,033 84.8
Registered electors 11,830
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Joicey Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Chester-le-Street [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Joicey 6,453 61.3 N/A
Liberal Unionist Sir Edward Sullivan, 2nd Baronet 4,066 38.7 New
Majority 2,387 22.6 N/A
Turnout 10,519 79.9 N/A
Registered electors 13,169
Liberal hold
Morpeth
General election 1895: Chester-le-Street [7][8][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Joicey 7,370 64.2 +2.9
Liberal Unionist Viscount Morpeth 4,113 35.8 -2.9
Majority 3,257 28.4 +5.8
Turnout 11,483 78.6 −1.3
Registered electors 14,618
Liberal hold Swing +2.9

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Chester-le-Street [7][8][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Joicey 5,830 52.0 −12.2
Conservative John Nicholson 5,391 48.0 +12.2
Majority 439 4.0 −24.4
Turnout 11,221 68.6 −10.0
Registered electors 16,358
Liberal hold Swing −12.2
General election 1906: Chester-le-Street [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Labour John Wilkinson Taylor 8,085 45.6 New
Conservative Slingsby Duncombe Shafto 4,985 28.1 −19.9
Liberal Alfred Barrett Tebb 4,660 26.3 −25.7
Majority 3,100 17.5 N/A
Turnout 17,730 84.8 +16.2
Registered electors 20,910
Independent Labour gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Chester-le-Street [7][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Wilkinson Taylor 12,684 64.8 +19.2
Conservative Slingsby Duncombe Shafto 6,891 35.2 +7.1
Majority 5,793 29.6 +12.1
Turnout 19,575
Labour hold Swing +6.0
General election December 1910: Chester-le-Street [7][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Wilkinson Taylor Unopposed
Labour hold

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Chester-le-Street[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Wilkinson Taylor Unopposed
Labour hold
1919 Chester-le-Street by-election[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 17,838 77.1 N/A
National Democratic David Gilmour 5,313 22.9 New
Majority 12,525 54.2 N/A
Turnout 23,151 63.7 N/A
Registered electors 36,321
Labour hold

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Chester-le-Street[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 20,296 68.5 N/A
Unionist David Fee Todd 9,335 31.5 New
Majority 10,961 37.0 N/A
Turnout 29,631 76.6 N/A
Registered electors 38,672
Labour hold
General election 1923: Chester-le-Street [12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 20,712 74.7 +6.2
Unionist Charles Reginald Schiller Harris 7,015 25.3 −6.2
Majority 13,697 49.4 +12.4
Turnout 27,727 70.1 −6.5
Registered electors 39,532
Labour hold Swing +6.2
General election 1924: Chester-le-Street[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 22,700 71.0 −3.7
Unionist Michael Dodds McCarthy 9,250 29.0 +3.7
Majority 13,450 42.0 −7.4
Turnout 31,950 78.7 +8.6
Registered electors 40,578
Labour hold Swing −3.7
General election 1929: Chester-le-Street[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 26,975 69.8 −1.2
Unionist E.G. Payne 6,334 16.4 −12.6
Liberal Joseph William Wright 5,340 13.8 New
Majority 20,641 53.4 +11.4
Turnout 38,649 78.5 −0.2
Registered electors 49,243
Labour hold Swing +5.7

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 24,373 60.62
Conservative Ronald Kellett 15,834 39.38
Majority 8,539 21.24
Turnout 40,207 79.35
Labour hold Swing
General election 1935: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 29,111 70.98
Conservative Charles Robert Ingram Besley 11,901 29.02
Majority 17,210 41.96
Turnout 41,012 78.24
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Lawson 33,788 76.76
Conservative Antony Lambton 10,228 23.24
Majority 23,560 53.53
Turnout 44,016 79.79
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patrick Bartley 35,348 77.30
Conservative Harry John Martin Millican 10,379 22.70
Majority 24,969 54.60
Turnout 45,727 87.28
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patrick Bartley 35,511 76.96
Conservative Harry John Martin Millican 10,632 23.04
Majority 24,879 53.92
Turnout 46,143 86.64
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patrick Bartley 32,323 76.29
Conservative David A Wright 10,047 23.71
Majority 22,276 52.58
Turnout 42,370 79.57
Labour hold Swing
1956 Chester-le-Street by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Pentland 27,912 80.8 +4.5
Conservative William Rees-Mogg 6,625 19.2 -4.5
Majority 21,287 61.6 +9.0
Turnout 34,537 65.0 -14.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Pentland 33,901 75.78
Conservative William Rees-Mogg 10,838 24.22
Majority 23,063 51.56
Turnout 44,739 83.03
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Pentland 32,895 75.20
Conservative John Gorst 10,851 24.80
Majority 22,044 50.40
Turnout 43,746 79.43
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Pentland 32,467 76.96
Conservative Charles Maxwell Kirwan Taylor 9,720 23.04
Majority 22,747 53.92
Turnout 42,187 74.87
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Pentland 33,694 71.60
Conservative Dennis Ramshaw 13,363 28.40
Majority 20,331 43.20
Turnout 47,057 73.67
Labour hold Swing
1973 Chester-le-Street by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 25,874 53.06 -18.54
Liberal George Booth Suggett 18,808 38.57 New
Conservative Neil Balfour 4,092 8.39 -20.01
Majority 7,066 14.49 -28.71
Turnout 48,768 71.4 -2.3
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 33,534 59.21 +6.15
Liberal David James Herd 14,808 26.15 -12.42
Conservative Neil Balfour 8,291 14.64 +6.25
Majority 18,726 33.06
Turnout 56,633 83.48
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 33,511 65.69 +6.48
Liberal Douglas McCourt 9,233 18.10 -8.05
Conservative R Ditchburn 8,268 16.21 +1.57
Majority 24,278 47.59 +14.53
Turnout 51,012 74.63
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Chester-le-Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Giles Radice 38,672 60.40 -5.29
Conservative James Couchman 16,112 25.16 +8.95
Liberal Douglas McCourt 9,247 14.44 -3.66
Majority 22,560 35.24 -12.35
Turnout 64,031 76.76 +2.13
Labour hold Swing

See also

References

  1. ^ "'Chester-le-Street', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885". pp. 155–156.
  3. ^ "HMSO Boundary Commission Report 1885, Durham".
  4. ^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 10. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
  5. ^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. pp. 58, 129. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
  6. ^ "Chester-le-Street". 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  8. ^ a b c d e The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  9. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  10. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  11. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  12. ^ a b c d e f British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  13. ^ "Chester-le-Street Election". Tamworth Herald. 6 December 1919. Retrieved 5 October 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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