George Allan (antiquary) facts for kids
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George Allan (born in 1736, died in 1800) was an English lawyer who lived in Darlington. He was also an antiquary, which means he was very interested in studying old things and history.
Early Life and Education
George Allan spent a lot of his younger years in a town called Wakefield in West Yorkshire. He went to school at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield. From a young age, he loved collecting old handwritten documents and historical papers. He was very dedicated to this hobby.
Contributions to History
George Allan wrote several books about the history of County Durham, a region in England. He also helped another historian, William Hutchinson, with his big book called History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham. Allan shared many of his own findings for this project.
He gave 26 large books of old writings to the Society of Antiquaries of London. These writings were mostly about the University of Oxford. He had copied them from different libraries there.
Allan's Printing Press
George Allan even had his own printing press. This allowed him to print many of his own works and other interesting old texts. One of the books he reprinted was Legend of St Cuthbert, which was originally written in 1626 by Robert Hegg. Having his own press meant he could share historical information more easily.
Family Life
George Allan was married to Anne Nicholson. They had six children together. Their oldest son, also named George Allan, later became a Member of Parliament for Durham. This means he was elected to represent the people of Durham in the government.
