The Crests Depict Part of the History of the Church.

It is considered likely that when originally constructed, the nave ceiling was ornamented in the manner of many contemporary 'wool' churches in East Anglia with angels 'in flight'. When the interior was restored and redecorated in 1960 it was thought that part of the story of the church could be shown by affixing heraldic and other shields to the bosses - they can be seen in the photo to the right.  You can see a larger layout of the shields below.

The background to some of the shields' inclusion is described below, starting from the Chancel Steps.

Dedham was, from ancient times, under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London, but in 1845 the whole of Essex was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rochester.  St. John's College from quite early times had many clergy who served at Dedham and there was a special scholarship tenable there by pupils from Dedham Grammar School. The Diocese of St. Albans was founded in 1877.

When the Diocese of Chelmsford was founded in 1914, Dedham passed under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Chelmsford. The diocesan coat of arms may also be seen on the list of Vicars and Lecturers by the north door.

Dedham is now part of the Borough of Colchester. The First Bishop Suffragan was William Moore in 1536. He was succeeded by John Stern in 1592, but his successor was not appointed until 1882.

There are symbols honouring the Virgin Mary to whom the church is dedicated. The monogram is copied from the ornamental flintwork at the base of the tower.

The Tudor Badge commemorates the fact that since about 1536 the Patron of the Vicarage has been the Duchy of Lancaster. Prior to that it had been Butley Abbey in Suffolk but on the suppression of the monastries, Henry VIII passed it to his Duchy. The Westminster shield commemorates the fact that Matthew Newcomen, Lecturer of Dedham, preached to the members of the House of Commons at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, in 1641 and on subsequent occasions.
The arms commemorate the granting by Queen Elizabeth I in 1575 of a Charter under the title of 'The Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Dedham' to the school founded some years before by Dame Joan Clark and endowed in 1571 under the will of William Littlebury. The oak tree was already a good specimen when Dedham, Massachusetts was settled in 1636. It was later incorporated into the formal arms of the town.

The flowers recall the high standard of floral decoration that has been the aim in this church for many years.

The two trades of milling and weaving have been supporters of the church over many centuries. Many Dedham residents emigrated to the United States of America either in 1620 or the subsequent early years. Most of them settled in Massachusetts.

The last pair of shields are almost hidden above the organ. No special significance is known for the inclusion of these.

Click on this shield to see a larger layout the Shields.