In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Wisbech like this:
Wisbech.-- (or Wisbeach), mun. bor., par. (Wisbech St Peter), market town, and port, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, on river Nen, 22 miles NE. of Peterborough, 6432 ac., pop. 9249; P.O., T.O., 3 Banks, 3 newspapers. Market-days, Thursday and Saturday. The river, which is crossed by an iron bridge, and is joined to the Ouse by the Wisbech Canal, has been greatly improved for navigation, and admits of vessels of between 400 and 500 tons discharging their cargoes near the town. ...
The chief trade is in the export of agricultural produce, and the import of timber, coal, &c. (For shipping statistics, see Appendix.) The ancient parish church has a double nave and a fine detached tower. A monument has been erected to Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846), the slavery abolitionist, who was a native. Wisbech acquired a castle in 1071 from William the Conqueror. Between the years 1236 and 1614 Wisbech was four times inundated by the sea. It was made a mun. bor. in the time of Edward VI.
Wisbech through time
A Vision of Britain through Time includes a large library of local statistics for administrative units. For the best overall sense of how the area containing Wisbech has changed, please see our redistricted information for the modern district of Fenland. More detailed statistical data are available under Units and statistics, which includes both administrative units covering Wisbech and units named after it.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Wisbech, in Fenland and Cambridgeshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/431
Date accessed: 21st May 2013
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