Sunderland (UK Parliament constituency)

Sunderland was a borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election. It was split into the single-member seats of Sunderland North and Sunderland South for the 1950 general election.

1832-1918
Under the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832, the contents of the borough were defined as the Parish of Sunderland and the several townships of Bishop Wearmouth, Bishop Wearmouth Panns, Monk Wearmouth, Monk Wearmouth Shore, and Southwick.

See map on Vision of Britain website.

Minor change in 1868 to include a small part of the Municipal Borough not in the Parliamentary Borough.

1918-1950

 * The County Borough of Sunderland
 * The Urban District of Southwick-on-Wear.

Minor changes to align boundaries with those of local authorities.

Elections in the 1830s
Barrington resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s
Thompson resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds in order to contest a by-election at Westmorland, causing a by-election.

Grey succeeded to the peerage, becoming 3rd Earl Grey and causing a by-election.

Barclay resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s
Seymour was appointed Recorder of Newcastle upon Tyne, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s
Fenwick was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1880s
Allan resigned, causing a by-election.

Elections in the 1900s



 * some records describe Wilkie as Liberal-Labour

Elections in the 1910s

 * stood as "Independent Tariff Reform" but was supported by local Conservative Association

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: Hamar Greenwood
 * Labour: Frank Goldstone
 * Unionist:

Elections in the 1940s
General Election 1939–40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
 * Conservative: Samuel Storey
 * Liberal National: Stephen Furness
 * Labour: Fred Peart, Fred Willey