48 Bradford-upon-Avon. 
when the king opening an assize at Salisbury, indicted several of the 
Parliamentary Commanders, and amongst others the Earl of Pem- 
broke, for high treason. It was Michael Tidcombe who drew out the 
forms of indictment, and the Parliament never forgave him. In 
1646, he had to pay a fine of £450 for his estates, which lay at 
Great Ashley, in our parish, and also at Bishops Cannings and 
at Devizes. 
Of two or three occurrences during the seventeenth century, we 
must make specific mention. 
The first, in point both of time and importance, was the introduc- 
tion of a change in the manufacture of cloth, which exercised for 
many years afterwards a great influence on the trade, and conse- 
quently the prosperity of our town.. Hitherto only a coarse kind 
of cloth,—a sort of drugget,—had been made in Bradford, but in 
1659, Paul Methwin, the leading clothier of the time, obtained from 
Holland some ‘spinners,’ as they are termed, for the purpose of 
obtaining, through them, the secrets of manufacturing the finer 
kinds of cloth. Before, however, the foreigners had been long in 
Bradford, the parochial officers required a bond of indemnity in the 
sum of £100 to be entered into by Paul Methwin, lest they might 
become chargeable to the parish. The deed recites, that—‘ whereas 
Paul Methwin for his own proper gain and benefit did fetch, or was 
at charge to fetch or bring, out of Amsterdam in Holland into the 
parish of Bradford, one Richard Jonson, otherwise Derricke Jonson, 
spinner, with Hectrie his wife and several small children,”’—that, 
therefore, lest such persons, as, it is intimated, was not unlikely, 
should become a burden on the inhabitants of the parish, the 
churchwardens and overseers, for the time being,! thought it right 
to require security from Paul Methwin in the sum above-mentioned, 
that he would—“ from time to time, and at all times hereafter clearly 
acquit, save harmless, defend and keep the inhabitants of the said 
parish for ever free, and discharged from all manner of trouble, 
expense, costs, charges, and damages whatsoever that they may be 
put unto, or charged with, by the said Richard Jonson, &c., for 
1 The Churchwardens were John Smith and Walter Perry; the Overseers, 
John Crooke, Augustine Perry, and Richard Baylie. — 
