YESTERDAY, Darlington’s newest stretch of public parkland around Blackwell Grange was officially opened, and Memories provided guests with a quick whizz through the 10 generations of the Allan family who had created it, from saltdealer George Allan in 1890 to the son of Sir Henry Havelock-Allan who sold it to the council in 1950.

READ MORE: BLACKWELL'S GRAND FIR TO STAND ON THE EDGE OF PARKLAND

Often overlooked in the great panoply of Allans is “the good Miss Allan”. While her fellow family members were noted for their business or political cunning, their collecting of antiquarian documents, their militaristic daring or, in the case of Auld Jem Allan, just for being miserable, Ann Allan was noted for her quiet kindness.

She put out a bowl of pennies every morning in the Grange porch for poor passers-by to help themselves, and she was such a big lover of cats that she paid a man at Hurworth to be her “feline fisherman” and bring her pets fresh fish pulled from the Tees every day. The result was a population explosion, which the Good Miss Allan refused to have addressed by a cull, and so for decades, Blackwell was said to be “infested” by moggies which had grown large on Tees trout.

She died in 1785 and, as was the Allan custom, her body was laid out in the Grange prior to her funeral – her ghost is said to haunt the hotel, apparently reluctant to leave such a purr-fect place.

Her coffin was solemnly processed to St Cuthbert’s Church where it was greeted by 10,000 mourners.

As the town’s population was less than 4,000, people had come from many miles to say farewell to such a charitable lady who was generous even in death.

A dole was handed out to all who attended – one shilling for adults, 6d for children.

It was distributed from several points around the town centre, with many people scampering through the funeral crowds to collect as many shillings as possible.

READ MORE: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ALL THE HISTORY OF BLACKWELL