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Tour through Eastern Counties of England, 1722 by Daniel Defoe
page 16 of 134 (11%)
considerable.

It is observable, that in this part of the country there are
several very considerable estates, purchased and now enjoyed by
citizens of London, merchants, and tradesmen, as Mr. Western, an
iron merchant, near Kelendon; Mr. Cresnor, a wholesale grocer, who
was, a little before he died, named for sheriff at Earl's Coln; Mr.
Olemus, a merchant at Braintree; Mr. Westcomb, near Malden; Sir
Thomas Webster at Copthall, near Waltham; and several others.

I mention this to observe how the present increase of wealth in the
City of London spreads itself into the country, and plants families
and fortunes, who in another age will equal the families of the
ancient gentry, who perhaps were brought out. I shall take notice
of this in a general head, and when I have run through all the
counties, collect a list of the families of citizens and tradesmen
thus established in the several counties, especially round London.

The product of all this part of the country is corn, as that of the
marshy feeding grounds mentioned above is grass, where their chief
business is breeding of calves, which I need not say are the best
and fattest, and the largest veal in England, if not in the world;
and, as an instance, I ate part of a veal or calf, fed by the late
Sir Josiah Child at Wanstead, the loin of which weighed above
thirty pounds, and the flesh exceeding white and fat.

From hence I went on to Colchester. The story of Kill-Dane, which
is told of the town of Kelvedon, three miles from Witham, namely,
that this is the place where the massacre of the Danes was begun by
the women, and that therefore it was called Kill-Dane; I say of it,
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