George Allan (antiquary)

George Allan (1736–1800) was an English antiquary and attorney at Darlington.[1]

George Allan (left) and William Hutchinson, 1814 engraving by Joseph Collyer the Younger.

Life edit

Allan spent much of his youth in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where he was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield. He became an assiduous collector of manuscripts.[2]

Works edit

He was the author of several works relating to the history and antiquities of County Durham; he greatly aided William Hutchinson in his History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham. He presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London 26 quarto volumes of a manuscript relating principally to the University of Oxford, which he extracted from the public libraries there. He possessed a printing press, with which he produced several works; among them was a reprint of Robert Hegg's 1626 work, Legend of St Cuthbert.[3]

Family edit

Allan married Anne Nicholson, and they had six children. The eldest son George Allan served as Member of Parliament for Durham.[4]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Gibson 1885, pp. 294–295.
  2. ^ Gibson 1885, p. 294.
  3. ^ Rose 1857, p. 340.
  4. ^ Gibson 1885, p. 295.

References edit

  • Gibson, John Westby (1885), "Allan, George" , in Stephen, Leslie (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, vol. 1, London: Smith, Elder & Co, pp. 294–295

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