STOCKTON-ON-TEES, a municipal borough and sea-port in the county of Durham, 11 m. e.n.e of Darlington, on the left bank of the Tees. The broad and handsome High street is nearly a mile in length, and• from it several minor streets diverge at right, angles. A new t., known as South Stockton, has sprung up within the last few years on the right bank of the river. The town contains two churches, a Roman Catholic' chapel built by Pugin, several dissenting chapels, an athemTum, and other important edifices. The Stockton races, of some mark in the sporting world, are held here annually. Ship-building, chiefly in iron, is carried on to a great extent; and blast-furnaces, foundries, engine-works, and extensive potteries and iron-works are in operation. Sail-cloth, ropes linen, and diapers are manufactured; and there are breweries, corn-mills, and spinning mills. The exports are chiefly iron and earthenware; the imports are cor 1. timber in deals, spars, etc., and bark. In 1877, 565 foreign and coasting vessels, of 74,146 tons, entered, and 217 of 41,149 tons cleared the port. The town is connected with the railway
system of England and Scotland by the North-eastern railway company's branches, and there are two stations here. The Stockton and Darlington railway, the first in the United kingdom to commence passenger traffic, was opened for the purpose -of the conveyance of passengers and goods, Sept. 27, 1825. At Stockton the Tees is navi gable for vessels of large tonnage; by a cut, by which a bend of the river is avoided, the town is brought 3 m. nearer the sea; the navigation of the river has been much improved, and great facilities for an extensive trade provided. Pop. of pail. borough, '71, 37,467.
Stockton suffered severely from the incursions of the Scots in the early part of the 14th c., but even at that time it enjoyed considerable trade. It was taken for the par liament in 1614, and totally destroyed by the Roundheads in 1652. At the restoration it had become so poor a place that it contained only 120 houses, and most of these were built of clay.