▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁as ▁a ▁mill ▁town , ▁D ew s bury ▁went ▁through ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁decl ine . ▁More ▁recently ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁re development ▁of ▁der el ict ▁mill s ▁into ▁fl ats . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁census ▁the ▁D ew s bury ▁urban ▁sub - area ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 6 2 , 9 4 5 . ▁D ew s bury ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁He avy ▁W ool len ▁District , ▁a ▁con urb ation ▁of ▁small ▁mill ▁towns . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Top onym y ▁The ▁Dom es day ▁Book ▁of ▁ 1 0 8 6 ▁records ▁the ▁name ▁as ▁De us ber ie , ▁De us ber ia , ▁De us bere ia , ▁or ▁De ub ire , ▁literally ▁" D ew i ' s ▁fort ", ▁D ew i ▁being ▁an ▁old ▁Wel sh ▁name ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁David ) ▁and ▁" bury " ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁old ▁English ▁word ▁" bur h ", ▁meaning ▁fort . ▁ ▁Other , ▁less ▁supported , ▁theories ▁exist ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁name ' s ▁origin . ▁For ▁example , ▁that ▁it ▁means ▁" de w ▁hill ", ▁from ▁Old ▁English ▁d ē aw ▁( gen itive ▁d ē aw es ), ▁" de w ", ▁and ▁be org , ▁" hill " ▁( because ▁D ew s bury ▁is ▁built ▁on ▁a ▁hill ). ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁d ē aw ▁refers