A GENEROUS benefactor has donated £10 to a North-East museum.

But this is no ordinary donation, because the banknotes are more than 100 years old and their real value is priceless.

The notes were given to Darlington Railway Centre and Museum and date from 1884 and 1887, at a time when the town was a major locomotive building centre.

The notes have a connection to the early days of rail travel because they were produced for the Jonathan Backhouse Company, which ran Darlington Bank and Stockton on Tees Bank.

Backhouse and his family helped fund the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

The company was founded in Darlington in 1774 and issued its own bank notes and ran a small number of North-East branches.

In 1896, it was one of the three lead banks in the amalgamation of Backhouse, Gurney, Barclay, Bevan and Company, which became Barclay and Co Ltd, then Barclays Bank. The notes date from about the time Darlington's Bank Top station was being built.

The fivers have been framed together and are now on display in the Stockton and Darlington exhibition room, in the museum.

Darlington borough councillor Lee Vasey said: "This is a fantastic donation and the railway museum is very grateful.

"There are many interesting artefacts at the museum and it is always exciting for the collection to be expanded in this way."

The museum is open all year, from 10am to 5pm except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The museum can be contacted on (01325) 460532

Published: 07/07/2005