the wool industry took off in the 16th century, partly due to the river. the plague hit the town hard in 1611 and 1636. this, a recession in the woollen industry, and a drop in corn production in 1622 and 1623, caused massive hardship for the town's population. the trade in cloth faced further problems during the english civil war due to a royalist proclamation that prohibited the sale of cloth to the parliamentarian-controlled london.