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 to show where reminders of the town's past can still
be found. Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of
the transformation that Darlington has undergone through the ages will
be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to
the town.
