The Reminiscences of a Citizen whose memory goes back in detail for over
Seventy Years, as in the case of the Contributor of these Notes, cannot
fail to be of paramount interest and of antiquarian value. Especially in
this case, where the distinguished Narrator has held a very foremost
place in the Professional life and Voluntary Public Service of the City.
Additionally interesting must they prove in the case of a City which has
developed from a comparatively small parish into a populous industrial,
commercial and residential Centre. The Peterborough Archæological
Society has in these circumstances undertaken the duty of preserving and
circulating in compact form the very valuable personal Recollections of
Mr. Andrew Percival. In doing so the Society acknowledges its
indebtedness to that gentleman for his ready permission to entrust them
to its charge. The writer of this Preface was present at the old
Wentworth Rooms, at Peterborough, in the years 1883–4, when the addresses
which formed the basis of this chronicle were delivered. He thus felt a
continuity of interest when the manuscript was recently committed to him
to prepare, with illustrations, for advance publication in the
“Peterborough Advertiser,” in September, 1905, and in bringing up to
date, during the indisposition of the Author, several of the
chronological and statistical references. Otherwise the Notes remain
exactly as set down and corrected by Mr. Percival. The Society expresses
its thanks to Mr. A. C. Taylor for the use of the very excellent photo of
Mr. Percival which forms the frontispiece; to Mr. T. N. Green (Ball &
Co.) for the Photo of the Old Bridge; and to Mr. Geo. C. Caster for the
use of “Whittlesey Mere” block, from “Fenland Notes & Queries”; most of
the others having been specially taken and engraved for this Publication.