 Between then and 1650, when the last executions took place, 56 men and women are recorded as having been decapitated.The total number of executions identified since 1286 is just short of 100.Local weavers specialised in the production of kersey, a hardwearing and inexpensive woollen fabric that was often used for military uniforms; by the 16th century Halifax and the surrounding Calder Valley was the largest producer of the material in England.