Document dated 1674
...... three Strangers called by the names of Wolfe, Gregorius & Jone, Dutchmen by nation or of Powland are suffered & permitted to abide as work men to the said William Brewer in the above said parish of Bradford in ye County of Wiltshire. Now if the said William Brewer - his executors, administrators & assignees or any or other of them off and from All & all manner of Charges with the said Parish of Bradford shall be put into or charged to pay two or four the said Wolfe Gregorius & Jone ….. or any or other of them for or by reason of poverty, sickness or Impotence or the poverty , sickness, lameness or impotence of their any or other of their wife, .., child or children or any other of these at any time or times hereafter that then this present obligation… & of none affect or else it
Remain And be in full Strength & virtue.
Sealed and Delivered in the presence of
Jos. Seymour, John Thynne, jnr. Henry Shrapnell, William Brewer

With the introduction of a change in the manufacture of cloth, which exercised for many years afterwards a great influence on the trade, and consequently 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 Eichard Jonson, otherwise Derricke Jonson, t 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.1 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 Eichard Jonson,
Churchwardens were John Smith and Walter Perry; the Overseers John Crooke, Augustine Perry, and Richard Baylie.
f [The name of Derrick survives in Bradford.]
&c., f°r an^ towards the maintenance and breeding up of them or any of them."1
The name of the place in which these men from Holland lived, is still called the " Dutch Barton : " it is situated at the west end of Church street, on the right hand side of the passage leading to the Abbey yard. The house at the corner and the large adjoining malthouse occupy the site on which stood, formerly, some of the cottages in which the foreigners lived. Memorials of their residence amongst us are often found in those Flemish or Nuremburg Tokens, as they are called, a kind of spurious coin, which they brought with them from their native country, and specimens of which are very abundant.
Mr. Wm. Brewer his bond of £100 to save harmless the Parish of Bradford against the Dutchmen."—The deed recites that " whereas att the desire and request of the said William Brewer of Trowbridge, and for his benefitt and profit in his trade of a clothier, throe straungers called by the names of Adolfe, Gregorms, and Jone, Dutchmen by nation, or of Powland, are suffered and permitted to abide in the parish of Bradford as workmen to the said William Brewer," &c., that, therefore, a bond has been taken from him to hold the parish harmless in the event of any of them or their families becoming " for or by reason of poverty, sickness, lameness, or impotenoie " chargeable to it. The 'William Brewer,' above alluded to, is spoken of by Aubrey (' Natural History of Wilts,' p. ii. oh. xii.)—" Now (temp. Jacobi ii.) Mr. Brewer of Trowbridge driveth the greatest trade for medleys of any cloathier in England."