Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 18.djvu/732

 700 PETERBOROUGH church was converted into a cathedral, the abbot being made the first bishop. The extreme length of the building is 471 feet, and of the nave 211 feet, the breadth of the west front being 156 ; the height of the central tower, as reconstructed in the 14th century, was 150, that of the spires and tower of the west front is 156 feet. In 1643 the building was defaced by the soldiers of Cromwell, who destroyed nearly all the brasses and monuments, burnt the ancient records, levelled the altar and screen, defaced the windows, and demolished the cloisters. To obtain mate rials for repairs the lady chapel was taken down. In the latter part of the 18th century the church was repaved. In 1831 a new throne, stalls, and choir-screen were erected and other restorations completed. On account of the in secure state of the central tower in 1883, it was taken down ; but it is now (1884) being rebuilt. Catherine of Aragon was interred in the cathedral in 1536, and Mary queen of Scots in 1588, but the body of the Scottish queen was removed to Westminster Abbey in 1612. Of the mon astic buildings there are some interesting remains. The cathedral is approached by a Norman gateway, above which is the chapel of St Nicholas, built by Abbot Bene dict, and now used as the music school, and on the left the chapel of St Thomas a Becket, built by Abbot Ashton in the 15th century, and now used as the grammar-school. The gateway to the bishop s palace, formerly the abbot s house, was built by Abbot Godfrey de Croyland in 1319, and the deanery gate by Abbot Kirton in 1515. One of the canonry houses is formed partly from a hall of the 13th century. To the north of the cathedral is Touthill, said to have been erected for the defence of the monastery. Peterborough is included for civil purposes in the parish of St John the Baptist, but for ecclesiastical purposes it is divided into four, the additional parishes being St Mary s Boongate (1857), St Mark s (1858), and St Paul s (1869). The old parish church of St John originally stood to the east of the cathedral, but was rebuilt on its present site in the centre of the city (1401-7) in the Perpen dicular style. It consists of chancel, nave, aisles, and an embattled tower adorned with pinnacles. The educational establishments in clude the Henry VIII. grammar or chapter school ; the St Peter s training college for schoolmasters for the dioceses of Peterborough, Ely, and Lincoln, erected from designs of Sir Gilbert Scott (1864), and attended by forty-six pupils ; the practising school attached to the training college, attended by 250 boys ; and Deacons and Ireland s charity school, established in 1721 for the clothing and educating of twenty poor boys, but lately reorganized. The prin cipal public buildings are the market-house (1671), used as a town- hall, the corn exchange (1848) in the Italian style, the liberty jail and house of correction in the Norman style (erected in 1848 and enlarged in 1855 and 1870), the assembly rooms (1853), and the county court and probate office (1873). A cattle-market, 5 acres in extent, was opened in 1867. The benevolent institutions in clude the dispensary and infirmary, several almshouses, and the union workhouse. The modern prosperity and rapid growth of the town are chiefly due to the trade caused by the junction of so many railway lines. Adjoining the town are extensive works and sheds connected with the Great Northern and Midland Railways. Im portant cattle -markets and fairs are held, and therj is a large transit of meat and cattle to London and elsewhere. An extensive trade in corn, coal, and timber is also carried on. The principal manufacture is that of agricultural implements. The entire par liamentary city of Peterborough has an area of 6558 acres (of which 6310 are in Northamptonshire), with a population of 22,394 (of whom 20,123 are in Northamptonshire). The population of the municipal borough (area, 1818 acres) in 1871 was 16,310, and in 1881 it was 21,228.. Since 1841 it has more than trebled. The ancient name of Peterborough was Mcdcshamstcde. The foundation of the great Benedictine abbey of St Peter was laid in 655 by Oswy, king of Northumbria, and Peada, the first Christian king of Mercia. It was the first of the Benedictine abbeys in Gyrwa land (Fenland). In 870 it was plundered by the Danes, after which it remained desolate till 966, when it was restored to its former splendour by Athwald, bishop of Winchester. From that time the town was called a borough, being probably then surrounded by walls ; and under Abbot Leofric, nephew of Earl Lcofric of Mercia, the abbey became one of the wealthiest in England. In 1169 it was plundered by Hereward. Since the first of Edward IV. the borough has returned two members to parliament. Until 1874 the city was included in the liberty or soke of Peterborough, the government of which was vested in the lord paramount, the custos rotulorum, and magistrates appointed by the crown, with powers equal to those of judges of assize ; a high bailiff o the city was appointed by the dean and chapter as lords of the manor, who acted as returning officer till the incorpora tion of the city in 1874. Peterborough is divided into three wards ; for municipal and sanitary purposes it is governed by a mayor, six aldermen, and eighteen councillors, but for magisterial and sessional purposes is still included in the liberty of Peterborough. Gunton, Histury of the Church of Peterborough, 1080; Britton, Histnry and Antiquities of the Abbey and Cathedral Church of Peterborough, 18:28 ; Paley. lie.marks on the Architecture, of Peterborough Cathedral, 1849 ; Sweeting, Xotes on Peterborough Cathedral, 1800. PETERBOROUGH AND MOM MOUTH, CHARLES MOR- DAUNT, EARL OF (r. 1658-1735), a man whose whole life was passed in the turmoil of excitement, was born about 1658. His father, John Mordaunt, was created Baron Mordaunt of Reigate, Surrey, in 1659 ; his mother was Elizabeth, the daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Gary, the second son of Robert Gary, earl of Monmouth. He entered upon a long career of warfare when only about sixteen years of age by joining Sir John Narborough s fleet in the Mediterranean, and won his first distinction in arms in Cloudesley Shovel s destruction of the dey s fleet under the very guns of Tripoli. On two subsequent occasions the first in September 1678, the second in June 1680 he embarked in expeditions for the relief of Tangier, but the adventure met with little success, and that troublesome possession was soon after abandoned. His father died 5th June 1675, and Charles Mordaunt succeeded to the peerage. On his return from the second expedition to Tangier he plunged into active political life as a zealous Whig and an unswerving opponent of the duke of York. But his con tinued hostility to James II. forced him to retire to Holland, when he proposed to William of Orange to invade England. The disposition of the cold and cautious William had little in common with the fierce and turbulent English peer. His plan was rejected, though the prudent prince of Orange deemed it judicious to retain his fiery adherent by his side. When William sailed to Torbay his friend accom panied him, and when the Dutch prince was safely estab lished on the throne of England honours without stint were showered upon Lord Mordaunt. He was sworn of the privy council 14th February 1689, made a lord of the bedchamber in the same month, created lord-lieutenant of Northamptonshire shortly after, and in April of the same year appointed first lord of the treasury and advanced in the peerage to be earl of Monmouth. In less than a year he was out of the treasury, but he still remained by the person of his monarch. He was with William in his dangerous passage to Holland in January 1691 ; and in June 1692, when crossing from England to the same country, he narrowly escaped shipwreck. Although the English king had refused his consent to a bill for triennial parliaments in the previous session, Lord Monmouth did not shrink from reintroducing it in December 1693. This led to a disagreement with the court, though the final breach did not take place until January 1697, when Mon mouth was accused of complicity in Sir John Fen wick s con spiracy and of the use of &quot; undutiful words &quot; towards the king. He was committed to the Tower, staying in confine ment until April 1697, and deprived of his employments. Some consolation for these troubles came to him in June of the same year, when he succeeded to the earldom of Peterborough. The four years after his release from the Tower were mainly passed in retirement at Parson s Green, Fulham, at a house long since pulled down, but famous for its &quot; extraordinary good rooms &quot; and its spacious gardens. At the close of William s reign Lord Peterborough emerged from his suburban retreat for a time to take part in the prosecution of Lord Somers, and on the accession of Anne he plunged into political life again with avidity. His first act was to draw down on himself in February 1702 the