Leonard Raisbeck (b. c.1773 - d. 1845) Archive of correspondence, manuscript and printed material relating to the Stockton and Darlington Railway, circa 1773-1845. Contains 300 separate pieces, mainly autograph letters and memoranda, but also includes some printed material, and a number of vellum indentures. 3 boxes and 1 drawer.

Raisbeck was a key figure in lobbying for a link (originally a canal) between the coalfields via Darlington and Stockton. As a local landowner and lawyer he was hugely influential in helping bring about the railway to the area. His extensive archive of letters, memos, legal indentures and accounts sheds a light on the difficulties of bringing the line to fruition and insight into the dawn of the coming of the railway.

Contains correspondence with John Rennie in the fifteen years prior to the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The 16 letter correspondence between them reveal the conditions under which Rennie was employed and his recommendations - a canal. Includes the very first survey of the region in 1768 by Robert Whitworth. Correspondence on how the railway did actually come to pass and the turbulent first few years of operation. 24 letters between Raisbeck and Edward Pease, one of the Darlington proprietors, showing the breakdown of their friendship following a disagreement over the extension of the line to Middlesborough. Gives interesting insight into stresses and strains of business in relation to railway enterprise. A bundle of letters from Francis Mewburn, a senior lawyer to Raisbeck, outlining what Mewburn thought Raisbeck should do in relation to the company. Letters between Jonathan Backhouse, Thomas Meynell, Richard Sherwood, Richard Otley and Thomas Peacock, all key figures in the history of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. A letter from George Stephenson to Raisbeck relating to the transportation of coal. Documents on the Clarence Railway, a rival line to the Stockton and Darlington Railway.