East Essex, formally known as the East Division of Essex was a parliamentary constituency in the English county of Essex. From 1868 to 1885, it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, using the bloc vote system of election.

East Essex was created by the Reform Act 1867 for the 1868 general election as one of three two-member divisions of Essex (East, South and West), replacing the two divisions which had been created by the Reform Act 1832 (Northern and Southern). Initially named as the North East Division,^[1] it was renamed the East Division under the Boundaries Act 1868. The seat was created from parts of both South Essex and North Essex.

The place for "holding of courts for election of members" from 1867 became Braintree under the 1867 Act.^[1]

The boundaries were defined as:

• The Hundreds of Hinckford, Lexden, Tendring, Winstree, Witham, Thurstable, and Dengie.^[2][3]

See map on Vision of Britain website.^[4]

The Dengie hundred was transferred from the Southern Division, with the remainder being previously part of the abolished Northern division.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the three two-member divisions of Essex were abolished and replaced by eight single-member divisions. East Essex was replaced by the Harwich and Maldon Divisions and parts of the Saffron Walden and South Eastern Divisions.^[5]

Brise's resignation caused a by-election.