In politics Mr. Allan, who spoke with fluency and much elegance, was a whig of the old school. At the elections in 1828 and 1831, he nominated his cousin, William Russell, esq., of Brancepeth castle, as a candidate for the representation of the county of Durham. In 1832 he acted as chairman of Mr. Robert Duncombe Shafto's committee, and in 1841, he nominated Lord Harry Vane for the Southern division of the county of Durham.

WILLIAM ALLAN, esq., had succeeded to the Grange with but the skeleton of its ancient estates; and his uncle, John Allan, being childless, left him a portion of his estates, but the bulk was devised to another nephew, the second son of Robert Allan and Hannah Havelock, ROBERT HENRY ALLAN, esq., F.S.A., now of Blackwell Hall, and Barton. This gentleman was one of the chief promoters of, and is the principal proprietor* in that important and successful work, the Hartlepool Dock and Railway; an undertaking which has so much tended to advance the mining, commercial, and maritime interests of this county. He has also distinguished himself by the improvements he has effected in the large landed estates to which he has succeeded, and by his unwearied exertions as a justice of the peace, ever at his post. He was the friend and correspondent of the late Robert Surtees, of Mainsforth, esq., the historian of the palatinate, and in 1824 arranged for Mr. Thomas Hoggett, bookseller, Durham, a useful little work, entitled "An historical and descriptive view of the city of Durham and its environs; to which is added a reprint of Hegge's Legend of St. Cuthbert, from the edition of the late George Allan, esq., F.S.A." This publication, which "is neatly got up, and elegantly edited," has since been republished, with additions, by George Procter, bookseller, Durham. In 1829, Mr. Allan printed, sibi et amicis, a "Life of the late George Allan, esq., F.S.A., to which is added a catalogue of books and tracts printed at his private press at Blackwell Grange, in the county of Durham." Since this period Mr. Allan has devoted much time and labour in promoting the publication of various works connected with history, topography, and genealogy, the value of whose assistance is best evinced by the cordial acknowledgments of their several authors.§

family vault in Darlington church, on the 9th instant. The assembled numbers, and the long train of friends who followed him to the tomb, were a tribute to the memory of one whose life had been characterised by kindness, charity, and good will to all men :

Quis desiderio sit pudor aut modus,
Tam cari capitis?"

-Local Papers of 13 Sept., 1844.

"I had the pleasure of being acquainted with Mr. John Allan for a very great number of years, and I can assure you there is no one for whom I entertained a higher regard and esteem."-Duke of Cleveland to R. H. Allan, esq., March 4, 1845.

* In July 1850, the three principal proprietors in this undertaking held the following shares, viz., R. H. Allan, esq., 163; Henry Hill, esq., 142 ; and Mrs. Webb, 106.

"The Mayor of Durham (R. H. Allan, esq.,) entertained the Leet Jury of this city, to dinner, at the City Tavern, on Tuesday last; and as the worthy gentleman is about to remove from this city, to take up his residence on the estate left to him by the will of his late uncle, John Allan, esq., of Blackwell, he paid the members of the Town Council the compliment of including them in the invitation. Nearly forty gentlemen assembled on the occasion; by whom the festivities of the evening were maintained until an advanced hour. The healths of the mayor and his lady were drank with the warmest enthusiasm ; and while all present felt regret at their separation from a gentleman who, during his long residence in the city, has won universal esteem and confidence, and who, in the office of mayor, has shown himself an able and upright magistrate, all rejoiced in his accession to the ample fortune of which he has become the possessor, which places him in the foremost rank amongst the gentlemen of the county, and will enable him to exercise his talents and virtues in a more extended sphere than has hitherto been afforded for their development." -(Durham Chronicle, 25 Oct., 1844.)

See review in Gentleman's Magazine, Nov., 1824.

Among these may be enumerated the following:-The late John Burke, esq., the eminent and accomplished genealogist and author of the well-known" Peerage," handsomely

The Allan garb of literature wears wonderfully. The voice of honest praise applied to cotemporaries is by many scarcely distinguished from flattery; and the intimacy, of which I am justly proud, existing between Mr. Allan and myself is a further drawback to my placing on paper, feelings which are the growth of neither vanity, nor altogether of a sense of patronage, the most generous and undeserved. But this I may say, that even to corrections and additions at the very moment of going to press, Mr. Allan (in addition to allowing boundless access to documents which have been used in almost every page of my "Darlington") has been a most faithful and obliging pioneer. It will indeed have been observed that this is the characteristic of the family. They have zealously assisted others rather than by any magnum opus secured the fame of authorship for themselves. Mr. Allan has also encouraged the arts by munificent donations of plates to various works ;* stained glass to the church of St. Mary's the less, Durham, and to the new Town's Hall of Durham; and communion plate to St. John's, Darlington : as well as by the insertion of an extremely handsome Gothic monument in the north side of the choir of St. Cuthbert's church, Darlington, from a design by Hopper, of London, which does great credit to the sculptor, Mr. John Day, of Bishopwearmouth, and forms a singular contrast to the stately classic tablet on the opposite wall, erected by George Allan, the antiquary.‡

Blackwell Grange,§ with its noble avenue of ancient limes filled with rooks;

acknowledges the assistance he received from Mr. Allan, in the compilation of his elaborate and important work, the "History of the Commoners," the first edition of which was published in 1833. The late Mr. John Sykes, in his "Local Records," 1833, makes his acknowledgments "to Robert Henry Allan, of Durham, esq., F.S.A., for his unsolicited favours in kindly communicating many valuable particulars, and also for his interest in obtaining for him several subscribers, he owes a deep sense of gratitude." The editor of Mackenzie and Ross's "History of the County Palatine of Durham," 1834, "tenders his thanks for many interesting communications, to Robert Henry Allan, esq., F.S.A., of Durham, the value of whose favours is enhanced by the manner in which they are conferred." John Walker Ord, esq., the historian of Cleveland, 1846, "is deeply grateful to Robert Henry Allan, esq., for much valuable information." The third volume of the "Patrician," 1847, edited by the late John Burke, esq., has the following dedication: "To Robert Henry Allan, esq., F.S.A., of Blackwell Hall, co. Durham, the earliest and most constant promoter of the genealogical pursuits of the editor, this volume of the Patrician is inscribed with feelings of sincere esteem."

* E. g. Surtees's Durham; Robson's British Herald; Burke's Heraldic Illustrations; Brockett's intended Life of George Allan; Longstaffe's Darlington, &c.

+ It is of the perpendicular style, beautifully enriched. Along the basement are carved in the panelings seven shields of the armorial bearings of the families of Allan, Pemberton, Hindmarsh, Killinghall, Herdewyke, Lambton, and Dodsworth. The following is the inscription:-"In this church are deposited the remains of George Allan, of Darlington, and Blackwell Grange, in the county of Durham, Esquire, (sixth son of George Allan, of Yarm, in the county of York, Esq.), born in 1663, and died 24th March, 1744, aged 80 years. Also of his son George Allan, of Blackwell Grange, Esquire, born in 1694, and died 31st July, 1753, aged 58 years. Also of James Allan, of Blackwell Grange, and of Barton, in the county of York, Esquire, born in 1712, and died 19th January, 1790, aged 77 years. Also of his son George Allan, of Blackwell Grange, Esquire., F.S.A., the eminent antiquary and collector, born in 1736, and died 17th May, 1800, aged 63 years. Also of George Allan, of Blackwell Grange, Esquire, M.A., F.S.A., sometime M.P. for the city of Durham, (son of the last named George Allan), born in 1767, and died 21st July, 1828, aged 61 years. Also of John Allan, of Blackwell Hall, in this county, and of Barton, Esquire, M.A., a justice of the peace for the county of Durham, and North Riding of the county of York, (grandson of the above named James Allan), born in 1778, and died 4th September, 1844, aged 66 years. In testimony of his respect and affection for their memories, Robert Henry Allan, of Blackwell Hall, and Barton, Esquire, F.S.A., caused this monument to be erected, a. D. 1845." + "Choro cœlesti beatarum Virginum accessere, Dorothea et Anna Georgii Allan, de Blackwell Grange, arm. filiæ; illa, anno 1760, æt 38; fœminarum dulce decus, et invidia major; hæc, anno 1775, at 66, pauperum Solamen, omnium delicia, utraque Christianis virtutibus eximia; has erga, et in memoriam Annæ suæ conjugis charissimæ, anno 1787, æt. 46, abreptæ, hoc grati animi pignus posuit Geo. Allan, de Darlington."

§ "In the way from Darlington to Blackwell, you pass the Grange, on an elevated situation, with a S. E. aspect, long eminently distinguished as the seat of benevolence and the virtues; ostentatious ornaments are not displayed here; rural beauties and simplicity are maintained as the chief graces of this pleasant place."-Hutch. Hist. Durham, III. p. 193.