on , ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁also ▁date ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁The ▁tower ▁houses ▁" Black ▁Tom ", ▁a ▁bell ▁which ▁is ▁r ung ▁each ▁Christmas ▁E ve , ▁one ▁to ll ▁for ▁each ▁year ▁since ▁Christ ' s ▁birth , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Dev il ' s ▁Kn ell ", ▁a ▁tradition ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁The ▁bell ▁was ▁given ▁by ▁Sir ▁Thomas ▁de ▁So oth ill , ▁in ▁pen ance ▁for ▁murder ing ▁a ▁servant ▁boy ▁in ▁a ▁fit ▁of ▁ra ge . ▁The ▁tradition ▁was ▁comm emor ated ▁on ▁a ▁Royal ▁Mail ▁post age ▁stamp ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁ ▁D ew s bury ▁market ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁for ▁local ▁cloth iers . ▁Occ urr ences ▁of ▁the ▁pl ague ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 3 ▁and ▁ 1 6 0 3 ▁closed ▁the ▁market ▁and ▁it ▁re open ed ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 1 . ▁▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁D ew s bury ▁retained ▁a ▁measure ▁of ▁importance ▁in ▁ecc les iast ical ▁terms , ▁collect ing ▁t ith es ▁from ▁as ▁far ▁away ▁as ▁Hal if ax ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 4 th ▁century . ▁John ▁Wes ley ▁visited ▁the ▁area ▁five ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁Method ist ▁Society ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 6 . ▁Cent en ary