clothier and inventor
Benedict Webb from Kingswood spent his life finding new ways to improve cloth-making during the 1600s. He introduced new types of woollen cloth from France, woven from different-coloured yarns; these became highly fashionable in England. Later, he developed a method of using rapeseed oil for cleaning wool. His discoveries revolutionised the west-country wool-cloth trade, helping its survival after a period of decline by introducing new types of cloth and processes.