 Historically , the economy of the Trafford area has been dominated by agriculture . This continued to some extent even during the Industrial Revolution , as the textile industry in Trafford did not develop as quickly or to the same extent as it did in the rest of Greater Manchester . There are only two known 18th @-@ century mill sites in Trafford , compared with 69 known in Tameside and 51 in Manchester . After reaching a high of 43 % in 1812 , employment in the textile industry in Trafford declined to 12 % according to the 1851 census . The textile industry in Trafford could not compete with that in places such as Manchester , Oldham , and Ashton @-@ under @-@ Lyne , partly because of a reluctance to invest in industry on the part of the two main land owners in the area : the Stamfords and the de Traffords . 
