For centuries the woollen trade had been important to the wealth and prosperity of England, but with the introduction of new materials and foreign imports, some people thought that the industry was under threat. To protect the trade Parliament enacted the Burying in Woollen Acts. The first Act was passed in 166 and was later replaced by the better known Act of 1678, which stated;
"No corpse of any person (except those who shall die of the plague) shall be buried in any shift, sheet, or shroud, or anything whatsoever made or mingled with flax, hemp, silk, hair, gold, or silver, or in any stuff, or thing, other than what is made of sheep's wool only."
Failure to comply resulted in a £5 forfeiture. One-half of this went to the informer, the other half to the poor of the parish where the body was buried. Within 8 days of the burial, an affidavit had to be provided attesting that the burial complied with the Act. The affidavit confirming the burial in wool had to be sworn before a Justice of the Peace or failing that the parson could administer the oath. Confirmations of the affidavit appear in the burial registers of some parish registers.
The legislation remained in force until 1814, although the requirement was generally ignored after 1770.