Exhibition is a fitting tribute to one of Teesdale's most revered residents

THE life and works of one of Teesdale’s most renowned residents – solicitor, writer, illustrator and historian William Hutchinson – is being celebrated in a new display at The Bowes Museum.
The exhibition was produced by museum library volunteer Tony Seward, who became entranced by the 18th century author when he moved to the town five years ago.
The display includes original published books and manuscripts from The Bowes Museum’s archive, including the play The Princess of Zanfara; his volumes of the History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham; his novel A Week at a College and his two tourist guides, An Excursion to the Lakes of Westmorland and Cumberland.
His books on the Lake District, published in 1774, are thought to be the first guide books of the region and were edited and republished by Mr Seward earlier this year.
Mr Seward said: “With the range of his interests – fiction, poetry, travel – he was a man of so many points. We have a complex man. He was very assiduous, whatever he did, he went into it thoroughly.
“He was really part of that antiquities craze at the time.”
An interesting part of the exhibition is an 1812 cartoon by George Cruikshank which pokes fun at members of the Antiquarian Society. In the corner of the drawing there is a reference to Barnard Castle on a document held by one of the figures.
The exhibition is divided into three sections, the first reflecting what the town was like in Mr Hutchinson's time, the middle showing him as a man of letters and the last section reveals him as a traveller and writer of tours.
Mr Seward said: “The display is intended to give a brief glimpse into the range of his work as a writer.
“Like many professionals of his time, Hutchinson was deeply involved in researching antiquities of his own region, but he was also a passionate believer in liberty. This is apparent from many asides in his books, but most notably in his anti-slavery play The Princess of Zanfara, published in the year of the French Revolution, in 1789.”
Also included in the exhibition is a rare writing slope, similar to what Mr Hutchinson might have used. The antique, which belongs to Mr Seward, was passed down through generations of his family.
While Mr Hutchinson is celebrated now, this was not always the case.
Mr Seward said: “He did not have a full university, classical education so he was somewhat disadvantaged. There was a certain amount of snobbery about his work from his contemporaries.”
Whatever the case, the exhibit is a fitting tribute to one of the town’s most revered residents.