Darlington: A Potted History

Darlington¿s history is popularly seen as the story of Quakers and railways but there is much more to the town¿s past than this. From its beginnings as a Saxon settlement, it became the southern stronghold of the land of the Prince Bishops, a market town, had its own Great Fire long before London, provided inns for travellers along the Great North Road, became an industrial centre and faced the twenty-first century with a diversified economy as the old heavy industries closed. Along the way, as the town grew rapidly in the nineteenth century, it was a group of Quaker Darlington businessmen who masterminded the beginnings of Britain¿s railway system in the town.This book will look back over the centuries to uncover the fascinating history of the town. Stories of the town¿s rebels, reformers, activists, benefactors, heroes and campaigners, England¿s first black professional football player, as well as the lives of the ordinary folk, bring the history to life, together with illustrations