784 
PETERBOROUGH. 
Height of the nave, from the floor to the ceiling, Si feet; 
of the central tower, from the floor to the fummit, 1351 
whilft its whole height externally is 150 feet. The 
breadth of the nave and aides, from the north wall to the 
fonthjis 78 feet, and the breadth of the weft front 156. 
The periods of erefting the various parts of the cathedral 
may be affigned thus: the choir, with its aides, from the 
circular extremity at the call: to the commencement of 
the tranfept on the weft, was begun in the year 1118, and 
finiflied in 1144. Between the years 1155 and 1177, the 
tranfept was erefted; and between 1177 and 1193, the 
nave, with the aides, were completed to the termination 
of the pillars. A farther addition was made about 1288, 
when the fpace between the extreme weftern pillar and 
the door of entrance was finiflied, forming a projeftion 
on each fide of the weftern extremity, and terminated by 
two towers. The Lady’s Chapel, (aid to have been on 
the eaft fide of the north tranfept, was built by William 
Parys, the prior, in the 14th century. At what period 
the wed: portico, with its three arches, was e refled, is 
r.ot precifely known, but we prefume before the year 
1274, as abbot Richard de London raifed one of the 
weftern towers before that year. The new building, at 
the eaftern extremity of the choir, was erefled by Richard 
A diton in the middle of the 15th century, and probably 
completed by abbot Kirton about 1518. This building 
formed the laft addition made to the church before the 
didolution of the monaftery by Henry VIII. making a 
period of 400 years from the foundation of the prefent 
church to its final completion. On theTouth fide were 
the cloifters, which are nearly deftroyed. The annexed 
engraving of the Weft Front of the Cathedral is copied 
from the Gentleman’s Magazine, accompanied with the 
following remark by the late Mr. Carter, who furnifhed 
the drawing. “ The building (chapel, or fong-fchool) 
raifed within the centre arch (which arch is lels in the 
opening than thofe on each fide) is a later conftruflion; 
probably of the 14th century, done, it is imagined, to 
aft as a fuftainment to fome vifible injury the arch itfelf 
might have undergone. The three grand arches, the re¬ 
ceding walls, with their enrichments of door-ways, win¬ 
dows, groins, columns* pediments, compartments, 
niches, (latues, ornaments, attending towers, pinnacles, 
and fpires, conftitute a gigantic and gorgeous weft porch: 
the tower on the right reftored according to Gunton. 
In the diltance, centrically, is the tranfept tower, on 
which, to give an aflimilating effeft to the whole con¬ 
tour, I have introduced a fpire. Whether the tower 
originally was fo adorned, is not certain ; but it is not 
beyond a reafonable fuppofition to conclude, that it once 
had fuch a glorious termination.” 
The abbots of the monaftery were called to the houfe 
of peers in the time of Henry III. and were mitred in 
3400. Queen Catharine, the firft wife of Henry VIII. 
was interred here in 1535. In 1541 the monaftery was 
converted into an epifcopal fee, and the conventual 
church into a cathedral. The government of it was 
entrufted to a bifhop, a dean, and fix prebendaries, whofe 
jurifdiftion extended over the city of Peterborough, and 
nearly the whole of the counties of Northampton and 
Rutland. In 1587, the funeral of the haplefs Mary, 
queen of Scots, was here folemnized, unattended by 
Iplendour or ceremony: her remains were tranflated to 
Weftminfter in the reign of James I. 1612. During the 
rebellion of 1643, the cathedral experienced various afts 
of violence from the parliamentary forces 5 the flails, 
organ, books, monuments, and every ornamental decora¬ 
tion, ftiared an equal deftruftion. After remaining eight 
years in a ftate of ruin and defolation, its damages were 
in fome meafure repaired, and the whole edifice reftored 
for the performance of divine fervice. 
On the left hand, as you enter the cathedral, (lands 
the figure of Robert Scarlet, the fexton, who died at the. 
age of 95, after he had buried all the houfekeepers of 
the town twice over. The following verfes appear un¬ 
derneath : 
You fee old Scarlet’s pifture (land on high, 
But at your feet there doth his body lie ; 
His grave-done doth his age and death-time (how, 
His office by thefe tokens you may know. 
Second to none for ftrength or fturdy limb, 
A fcare-babe, mighty voice, with vifage grim. 
He had inter’d two queens within this place, 
And this town’s houfeholders in his life’s fp3ce 
Twice over; but at length his own turn came. 
What he for others did, for him the fame 
Was done. No doubt his foul doth live for aye 
In heav’n, though here his body’s clad in clay. 
The Clofe, to the weft of the cathedral, is nearly fur- 
rounded by ancient monadic buildings, the fouth fide of 
which prefents feveral fine and interefting parts of ancient 
architeflure. On this fide is alfo the biffiop’s palace ; 
north of the cathedral is the deanery, the entrance gate¬ 
way to which was built by abbot Kirton, as the fculpture 
and arms plainly indicate. 
There is but one pariffi-church befides the cathedral. 
It (lands nearly in the centre of the city, is dedicated to 
St. John, and is faid to have been originally erefted about 
the year 1400, by abbot Genge, affilted by the citizens. 
The church is fpacious, and contains feveral monumental 
(labs. Over the altar-table is a large pifture, painted by 
fir Robert Ker Porter. 
Peterborough is the only city in England without 
mayor and aldermen. The civil government of the city 
is veiled in feven magiftrates, and in the bailiffs to the 
lords of the manor. The jurifdiction of this place, com¬ 
monly called the liberty or foak of Peterborough, is 
fomething particular, and extends over thirty-two towns 
and hamlets in the neighbourhood ; in all which places 
the civil magiftrates appointed by commiffion for the king 
for that purpofe are invefted with the fame power as 
judges of affize, and accordingly hold in this city their 
quarterly feffions of the peace, oyer and terminer, and 
general gaol-delivery, and hear and determine all criminal 
cafes, of what nature or kind foever within themfelves. 
It fends two members to parliament; the dean and 
chapter arelords of the manor, and appoint the returning- 
officer. The prefent members are firR. Herne, bart. and 
Mr. Scarlett the barrifter. This city is entirely indepen¬ 
dent in the exercife of its eleftive franchife. The inha¬ 
bitants who pay fcot and lot, and who are in number 
between four and five hundred, have all votes at elections 
for their members of the legiflative affembly. This is 
reckoned the lead city and pooreft biftioprick in England. 
It firft fent members to parliament anno 1547, 1 
Edward VI. 
The river Nen, which divides the counties of North- _ 
ampton and Huntingdon, is navigable to Northamp¬ 
ton, forty-two miles above Peterborough, and below 
empties itfelf into the fea. It is a noble river, and 
barges of confiderable burthen are navigated thereon : it 
abounds with pike, eels, perch, bream, &c. To this day 
it remains a doubt by whom the bridge over the river 
leading into Peterborough Jiiould be kept up and repaired. 
It appears from hiftory, that abbot Godfrey, defied in 
1299, built of his own free will the bridge leading into 
the city, in the fourth year of Edward II. There wasan 
inquifition made concerning the faid bridge, which being 
gone to decay, the queftion was, how or by whom it fhould 
be repaired. To determine this there was a jury impan- 
nelled, fix out of Northamptonfliire and fix out of Hun- 
tingdonftiire, who, upon examination, returned an igno¬ 
ramus in the following manner: “That there was none 
of right bound to repair or fuftain the fame.” But, the 
king and queen coming to Peterborough, the faid bridge 
was repaired by abbot Adam for their paffage into the city. 
The bridge has for many years been kept up by the 
feoffees, 
