THE life and work of a County Durham astronomer and surveyor who literally left his mark on the world is being celebrated in a new exhibition which opens this weekend.

Cockfield-born Jeremiah Dixon worked with Charles Mason to establish the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania – the Mason-Dixon line – which was seen as the dividing point between free and slave states during the American Civil War.

They began surveying for the line 250 years ago and an exhibition to coincide with the anniversary is being staged at The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.

Hamsterley-based historian Jonathan Peacock has spent the last two years researching Dixon's life and work for the exhibition and said he was thrilled with the result.

“It tells the story and illustrates Jeremiah's brilliance,” said Mr Peacock.

Highlights include a previously unknown journal compiled by Mason when he and Dixon sailed to the Cape of Good Hope to observe the transit of Venus in 1861 in the hope data collected could be used to calculate the earth's distance from the sun.

There is also the original clock made by John Shelton which Dixon took to the Cape.

“Timekeeping was an essential part of recording the transit of Venus,” added Mr Peacock.

Dixon was born in 1733 and after completing his travels returned to his home village in 1769.

He carried on working locally, undertaking projects for the Raby estate and laying out the parkland of Auckland Castle for the Bishop of Durham. He never married and died aged 46 in 1779.

Mr Peacock said he thought Dixon would have been bemused by what he achieved in his lifetime.

“He was brought up a Quaker and a modest man who believed in personal endeavour. He would have been staggered by what happened to him.”

Jeremiah Dixon: Scientist, Survey and Stargazer, is on show at The Bowes Museum until October 6.