▁standards ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁its ▁population ▁was ▁probably ▁around ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 – 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁It ▁received ▁its ▁first ▁march er ▁char ter ▁from ▁William ▁Marshall , ▁ 1 st ▁Earl ▁of ▁P embro ke ▁som etime ▁between ▁ 1 2 1 3 ▁and ▁ 1 2 1 9 , ▁and ▁obtained ▁the ▁luc r ative ▁trad ing ▁privileges ▁of ▁an ▁English ▁bor ough . ▁It ▁trad ed ▁both ▁by ▁land ▁and ▁sea ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁busy ▁tid al ▁qu ay ▁on ▁the ▁river ▁below ▁the ▁" New " ▁Bridge . ▁At ▁least ▁ten ▁gu ild s ▁operated , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁significant ▁w ool len ▁cloth ▁manufact ure . ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁April ▁ 1 4 7 9 , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁designated ▁a ▁county ▁corpor ate ▁by ▁a ▁char ter ▁of ▁Edward , ▁Prince ▁of ▁Wales , ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁supporting ▁a ▁campaign ▁against ▁pi racy ▁in ▁local ▁waters . ▁It ▁shared ▁this ▁distinction ▁only ▁with ▁Car mar then ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁towns ▁in ▁England ▁and ▁remained ▁officially ▁" The ▁Town ▁and ▁County ▁of ▁Ha ver ford west " ▁until ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁the ▁bor ough ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁common ▁with ▁other ▁large ▁towns ▁in ▁Europe , ▁Ha ver ford west ▁was ▁hit ▁hard ▁by ▁the ▁Black ▁Death ▁in ▁ 1 3 4 8 , ▁suffering ▁both ▁dep op ulation ▁( per haps ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 %) ▁and ▁dimin ution ▁of