CHAP. IX. 



THE BISHOP AUCKLAND COAL-FIELD. 



149 



CHAPTER IX. 



GEORGE STEPHENSON ENGINEER OF THE STOCKTON AND 

 DARLINGTON KAILWAY. 



THE district lying to the west of Darlington, in the 

 county of Durham, is one of the richest mineral fields of 

 the North. Vast stores of coal underlie the Bishop Auck- 

 land Valley ; and from an early period it was felt to be 

 an exceedingly desirable object to open up new commu- 

 nications to enable the article to be sent to market. But 

 as yet it remained almost a closed field, the cost of 

 transport of the coal in carts, or on horses' or donkeys' 

 backs, greatly limiting the sale. Long ago, in the days 

 of canal formations, Brindley was consulted about a 

 canal; afterwards, in 1812, a tramroad was surveyed 

 by Eennie ; and eventually, in 1817, a railway was 

 projected from Witton Colliery, a few miles above Dar- 

 lington, to Stockton-on-Tees. 



OFTHE 



STOCKTON & DARLINGTON RAILWAY 



MAP OF STOCKTON AND D ARLINGTON RAILWAY. 



Of this railway Edward Pease was the projector. A 

 thoughtful and sagacious man, ready in resources, pos- 

 sessed of indomitable energy and perseverance, he was 



