Dedham in 1837
Dedham is in Lexden hundred, on the south bank of the river Stour, just on the right hand of the road to Ipswich and Norwich, about 58 miles from London. In the reign of Richard II this place was famous as one of the seats of the clothing trade. It is situated in a picturesque valley, and is a small place, consisting chiefly of one street. The church is a large building in the Perpendicular style of English architecture ; it has a fine tower at the west end with octagonal turrets crowned with rich pinnacles. There is a bridge over the Stour. The population of the parish, in 1831, was 1,770, about half agricultural : many genteel families reside in the place. There is an endowed free grammar school for 40 boys ; and an English school, partly endowed, with more than 60 scholars ; and a number of private schools. The living is a vicarage worth £170 per annum, with a glebe-house : the rectorial tithes form the foundation of a lectureship connected with the church. The Rev. W. Burkitt, author of a well-known commentary on the New Testament, was lecturer here.
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