A SCANDAL that created a popular slang phrase is one of the tales found in a village map.

Consett firm Alan Godfrey Maps has reproduced an 1895 Ordnance Survey map of Burnopfield and the Leazes.

An accompanying essay outlines the history of the coal baron William Newton, who built Burnopfield House, and the fate of his daughter.

Author Tom Oliphant said: "After William's death, his daughter, Hannah, married the cad and adventurer Andrew Robinson Stoney.

"The marriage was a bleak affair, ending when Stoney's disgraceful and cruel treatment eventually led to the death of his wife and child.

"Undeterred by the scandal this caused, Stoney used the fortune he inherited to court and wed the recently widowed Eleanor Mary Bowes, Countess of Strathmore, heiress to a vast fortune and the Gibside Estate.

"Another disastrous marriage ensued, except this ended with divorce. Stoney spent the last 20 years of his life in penury and prison. The phrase 'stoney broke' is said to have its origins in this disreputable character."

The piece also gives details of Burnopfield's most famous son, the England cricketer, Colin Milburn, who started playing for the village second team at the age of 11.

After scoring a half-century in his first game, he was promoted to the first team, making his debut at the age of 12.

He moved on to Chester-le-Street and the Durham Senior League, before signing for Northamptonshire when he was 18.

He played 16 Test innings for England, averaging more than 46 runs, before the loss of an eye cut short his career.

Colin took after his father, Jack Milburn, who once famously scored 450 runs in one innings.

Burnopfield boasts another famous sporting connection in the Newcastle United striker, Jack Allen.

Among older locals, the village pub, the Travellers Rest, is still known as "Jack Allen's", even though the striker died in 1957.

He bought the pub on his retirement, after a glittering career for Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle, which included scoring both goals for the Magpies against Arsenal in an FA Cup final.

Burnopfield and the Leazes, 1895, is available from book shops or direct from Alan Godfrey Maps, by calling (01207) 583388.