Stockton-on-Tees, a borough and seaport of Durham, on the north side of the Tees, 4 miles from its mouth and 11 ENE. of Darlington, 4 WSW. of Middlesborough, and 236 NNW. of London. A new town, Sonth Stockton, incorporated in 1892 as Thornaby-on-Tees (pop. in 1891, 15,637), has sprung up in Yorkshire south of the river, the two being connected by an iron bridge of three arches (1887), which superseded a five-arch stone bridge of 1771, and cost over £80,000. The town has six churches, a Roman Catholic chapel (1842-70) by the elder Pugin, a town-hall, borough-hall (1852), an exchange, a theatre, large recreation grounds, and an extensive park presented by Major Ropner. The Stockton Races, of some mark in the sporting world, are held here annually in August. Shipbuilding, chiefly in iron and steel, is carried on to a great extent; and blast-furnaces, foundries, engine-works, and extensive potteries and ironworks are in operation. Sailcloth, ropes, linen, and diapers were at one time the staple industry of the town; but their manufacture has been discontinued; and there are breweries, corn-mills, and spinning-mills. The exports are chiefly iron and earthenware; the imports corn, timber in deals, spars, &c., and bark. The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the first to commence passenger traffic, was opened for the double purpose of the conveyance of passengers and goods, September 27, 1825. At Stockton the Tees is navigable for vessels of large tonnage; the navigation of the river has been much improved, and great facilities for an extensive trade provided. Pop. (1831) 7763; (1861) 16,483; (1881), 55,457; (1891) 68,875, of whom 49,731 were within the municipal boundary. Stockton suffered severely from the incursions of the Scots in the early part of the 14th century, but even at that time it enjoyed considerable trade. Its moated castle was taken for the Parliament in 1644, and 'slighted and dismantled' in 1652, almost the last vestige being removed in 1865. At the Restoration it had only 120 houses, mostly built of clay. Since 1867 it sends one member to parliament. Ritson was a native.
See works by J. Brewster (1829), H. Heavisides (1865), and T. Richmond (1868).