The city's excellent transport links did much to encourage
its prosperity, although the roads themselves were often rough and
dangerous. Between 1750 and 1840 many local roads were improved by
Turnpike Trusts, which collected money from road users at toll
gates. Within the city, however, the streets were dirty and
difficult to negotiate, and wealthy visitors hired sedan chairs to
carry them - indeed, the use of sedan chairs continued in
Peterborough long after they went out of fashion elsewhere. It was
not until 1790 that the Peterborough Pavement and Improvement
Commission was set up specifically to improve the city's
streets.
The River Nene had long played an important part in the life of
the city. From 1761, after improvements upstream, the river was
properly navigable from the seaport of Wisbech as far as
Northampton. Much of Northamptonshire's agricultural output was
carried down-river, while up-river came produce from north-east
England and from Northern Europe - coal and building materials,
especially timber, slate and glass.
The Militia lists of 1762 show that most local people still
worked on the land, most commonly as labourer, farmer or shepherd.
Local trades also prospered, and carpenter, shoemaker,
butcher, blacksmith, baker, mason and boatman were all popular
occupations. The very poor continued to receive money from
the Feoffees, or to be housed in the workhouse. In 1744
Edward Wortley Montague, a city MP, built a new workhouse in
Westgate 'for the better accommodation of the poor of St John's
parish'.
Law and order were controlled by the cathedral's Dean and
Chapter through their Court of Petty Sessions, and by the Lord
Paramount of the Liberty of Peterborough (the Marquis of Exeter at
Burghley House) through the Soke Court. The Lord Paramount
maintained a prison in part of the old Abbey buildings. Most
prisoners were held inside a wooden cage divided into two cells,
but those accused of serious crimes were put in the 'condemned'
cell.
Punishments were still harsh at this time, and the last public
flogging was recorded in 1819 when a man accused of stealing was
flogged by the constable in the Marketstede. In 1820 the gallows
were moved to Fengate from their old site on the road to
Millfield.