Rivers and River Transport 1 1 5 



them to South America or the West Indies, for conversion there 

 into clothing for the slaves. 



As the demand increased, flannels and webs were more and 

 more produced in and around Shrewsbury itself and other 

 parts of Shropshire. Shrewsbury also developed a large manu- 

 facture of coarse linens, linen threads, and other textiles, and 

 eventually attained to such prosperity that Defoe says of it, 

 in his " Tour " : 



" This is indeed a beautiful, large, pleasant, populous and 

 rich Town ; full of Gentry, and yet full of Trade too ; for 

 here, too, is a great Manufacture, as well of Flannel, as also 

 of white Broadcloth, which enriches all the Country round it. 

 . . . This is really a Town of Mirth and Gallantry, something 

 like Bury in Suffolk, or Durham in the North, but much bigger 

 than either of them, or indeed than both together. . . . Here 

 is the greatest Market, the greatest Plenty of good Pro- 

 visions, and the cheapest that is to be met with in all the 

 Western Part of England ; the Severn supplies them here with 

 excellent Salmon, but 'tis also brought in great Plenty from 

 the River Dee, which is not far off, and which abounds with 

 a very good Kind. . . . There is no doubt but the Cheapness 

 of Provisions, joined with the Pleasantness and Healthiness 

 of the Place, draws a great many Families thither, who love 

 to live within the Compass of their Estates." 



Archdeacon Plymley speaks of Shrewsbury as having been, 

 " chiefly from the advantage of the river, for several centuries 

 past, a sort of metropolis for North Wales." 



Bewdley, which had obtained its charter from Edward IV., 

 was another Severn town which developed an extensive 

 trade in the exportation not only of Welsh flannels but of 

 timber, wool, leather, combs and sailors' caps. All these 

 were sent down the river to Bristol, whence the Bewdley dealers 

 received, in return, imported groceries and other commodities 

 for distribution throughout Wales and Lancashire. Bridg- 

 north also attained to considerable importance as a convenient 

 point for the transport to Bristol, via the Severn, of goods 

 brought by road from a Hinterland extending to Lancashire 

 and Cheshire. 



There was, again, much traffic to and from towns situate 

 on the Warwickshire Avon, which enters the Severn at 

 Tewkesbury after passing through Stratford, Evesham, Per- 



