Once a preeminent English port during the Middle Ages, Southampton saw its trade significantly decline by the Tudor era.

This downturn persisted, and by the 17th century, the writer Daniel Defoe starkly described the town as "dying with age."

Echoing this sentiment, a contemporary mayor lamented to the Secretary of State, "It has been a rich place, but now is quite the contrary.

"The public revenues are incredibly sunk."

At the dawn of the 18th century, Southampton, with fewer than 3,000 residents, remained largely confined within its medieval walls. 

Its modest economy relied on coastal shipping, silk weaving, paper making, and limited shipbuilding. 

The town's physical state reflected its economic woes, marked by abandoned or ruined buildings, vacant lots, and sparse "straggles of houses" extending from the Bargate and East Gate. 

Yet, this urban decay was set against a backdrop of surprising rural charm, with orchards, meadows, woodlands, and heathland reaching almost to the town gates.

Infrastructure was a significant issue. The High Street's paving was so deteriorated that carriage traffic was restricted to one side, while backstreets, courts, and narrow lanes were riddled with potholes, accumulating water and rubbish. 

Governance lay with the Corporation, theoretically comprising 24 "common council-men and 24 other resident burgesses," though these numbers often fluctuated. 

This body appeared more preoccupied with ceremony and lavish feasts—one recorded banquet featured an enormous spread including multiple joints of beef, nine pigs, ten geese, and dozens of other fowl—than with civic improvement. 

Unsurprisingly, these aldermen, seemingly complacent and resistant to change, were ill-prepared when Southampton unexpectedly gained fame in 1740 as a spa resort patronised by royalty.

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Despite this new status, the town's streets remained in disrepair until the 1770s. 

Following a petition to Parliament by progressive citizens, Commissioners were appointed with powers to pave roads, erect street lamps, establish a small watch of no more than eight men, and levy rates for these expenses. 

These reforms faced staunch opposition from ultra-conservatives within the Corporation, who denounced them as "violent encroachments on the rights and privileges of the magistracy."

Even with rudimentary law officers, Southampton was not always safe. 

Highwaymen targeted coaches, footpads attacked pedestrians, and mob unrest occasionally erupted, such as a riot on Guy Fawkes’ night in 1788 over a forbidden bonfire.

(Image: Echo)

The early 19th century ushered in more serious social disturbances. 

The activities of Luddites and arsonists alarmed authorities to such an extent that dragoons from Winchester were deployed to protect property and lives. 

A contemporary record details a devastating fire in Marsh Lane, presumed to be arson, which "spreading with great rapidity destroyed them entirely." 

This incident threw the town into a state of "fearful anxiety," marked by the ringing of alarm bells and the sound of watchmen’s rattles. 

The glow from the flames was so intense that a Royal Navy captain in Portsmouth, fearing a major revolt, dispatched seamen and marines to restore order. 

However, they lost their way and did not arrive until 8 a.m. the following morning.