’A married couple wanted about the end of April, experienced as Cook and House-Parlourman, or an experienced Cook-General and House Parlourmaid; 2 in family; every convenience, very comfortable quarters including private sitting room; centre of East Midland city. apply A J Paten, Mounds, Westwood Park, Peterborough.’ (Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligence)
Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.
A Prospect of Peterborough
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1731
Information
In the Eighteenth Century a popular purchase by the wealthy was of a view of the town or lands that they lived in. They were known as a prospect. In 1731 an engraving of Peterborough was created titled 'A South West Prospect of the City of Peterborough, In Northamptonshire.'
The View
The artwork was created by Nathaniel and Samuel Buck, two brothers from Yorkshire who specialised in topographical engravings. They created a series of interesting vistas of different areas across the country. The engraving is taken from a realistic view point, but the artist has created the scene. It includes features that cannot normally been viewed together or viewed in such fullness. It could be considered an early form of photoshopping. Some features can be found in contemporary maps and include the trees by the river and some of the buildings.
Features of the Prospect
Some of the most interesting features include Neville Place, St John's Church and the buildings near the bridge. There are no other pictures or photographs of these buildings at this time, so these are very valuable images. Peterborough Cathedral takes centre-stage in the picture and dominates the landscape. It is drawn in great detail and true to life, unlike other buildings that were drawn. This is likely to be because it is the most recognisable building in the city and the artist would be judged on how well they drew the cathedral.
