Luther Dedham
Luther Montague Dedham (born May 29, 1896) is an English-born American butler employed by the wealthy Coffin family of Madbury, New Hampshire. He has been majordomo of the Coffinhurst Estate since 1933.
Dedham is a former company sergeant major in the British Army, and a combat veteran of the First World War, where he earned the Victoria Cross for gallantry on the battlefield. In his younger days, he was a formidable middleweight boxer, winning several tournaments sponsored by the Army Boxing Association. He is fluent in French and enjoys reading and playing the piano in the evenings.
Called “Luther” by the family, he is married to the former Beatrice Payne, who is also employed in domestic service by the Coffin family, as is their 22-year-old daughter, Penelope. The Dedham family resides in the Servants’ Quarters, a small stone cottage near the Carriage House. He is a devout Episcopalian, and regularly attends services at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Dover. Although no one realizes it yet, he is completely insane.
Dedham was serving as an acting corporal at the time, leading a blocking party that was ordered to charge the German lines. He was the only member of his party to reach the German emplacement, single-handedly clearing 50 yards of trench using “Mills bombs,” as early hand grenades were then called.
Despite being severely wounded, he rounded up four other men and attacked the Germans with grenades once again, capturing another 250 yards of trench. He recuperated from his wounds, and continued serving in the Army after the war, eventually achieving the rank of company sergeant major, the highest attainable non-commissioned rank, before retiring from military service in 1928.
Luther and Beatrice were married on June 20, 1931, at St. Thomas Church on 53rd Street, after which they moved to New Hampshire, where Luther began his employment with the Coffin family as a chauffeur. Their first child, a son named John, was born the following year, but died in infancy. After the sudden death in October 1932 of Ferguson Tate, the Coffins' previous butler, Luther took on the responsibilities of overseeing the household staff, and has held the position ever since. His daughter Penelope was born in Madbury on September 1, 1938, and grew up on the Coffinhurst Estate, eventually joining the domestic staff in 1945.
Although not college educated, Luther has extensive worldly experience, is highly intelligent, extremely well read, and supremely well mannered, projecting an air of culture and dignity belying his humble upbringing. He speaks the Queen’s English with the resonant voice of a sergeant major, both refined and authoritative. He dresses conservatively, in the traditional attire of a continental gentleman’s gentleman. One would never know from appearances that he is out of his mind.
For Luther, there is a right way and a wrong way for everything. He cuts no corners. Everything must be done “by the book.” He is no hypocrite; he strives to live up to the standards he sets for others. That is not to say he is perfect. In fact, his standards are so high as to be unattainable. He therefore suffers from severe feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, for which he overcompensates by pushing himself further, in a never-ending, destructive cycle.
Dedham is a former company sergeant major in the British Army, and a combat veteran of the First World War, where he earned the Victoria Cross for gallantry on the battlefield. In his younger days, he was a formidable middleweight boxer, winning several tournaments sponsored by the Army Boxing Association. He is fluent in French and enjoys reading and playing the piano in the evenings.
Called “Luther” by the family, he is married to the former Beatrice Payne, who is also employed in domestic service by the Coffin family, as is their 22-year-old daughter, Penelope. The Dedham family resides in the Servants’ Quarters, a small stone cottage near the Carriage House. He is a devout Episcopalian, and regularly attends services at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Dover. Although no one realizes it yet, he is completely insane.
Early Childhood
Luther Montague Dedham was born May 29, 1896, in Colchester, Essex, England. He was the youngest of four children and the second son of John Dedham (1867-1930), a gravedigger employed by the Colchester council, and Eliza (Munson) Dedham (1875-1942), a seamstress. He attended local schools before joining the military at the age of 18.Military Career
Luther enlisted in the British Army on May 30, 1914, the day after his eighteenth birthday. He was deployed to active service in France with the 1st Division of I Corps of the British Expeditionary Force on August 4, 1914. He fought in the Battle of Mons, the First Battle of Aisne, the First Battle of Ypres, and the Battle of Aubers, where he was wounded in action and later awarded the Victoria Cross “for most conspicuous bravery in the face of the enemy.”Dedham was serving as an acting corporal at the time, leading a blocking party that was ordered to charge the German lines. He was the only member of his party to reach the German emplacement, single-handedly clearing 50 yards of trench using “Mills bombs,” as early hand grenades were then called.
Despite being severely wounded, he rounded up four other men and attacked the Germans with grenades once again, capturing another 250 yards of trench. He recuperated from his wounds, and continued serving in the Army after the war, eventually achieving the rank of company sergeant major, the highest attainable non-commissioned rank, before retiring from military service in 1928.
Later Life
In 1930, he emigrated to New York City and found work as a bartender and bouncer at Club Durant, a speakeasy located on 58th Street near Broadway, owned by entertainers Jimmy Durante, Eddie Jackson, and Lou Clayton. It was there that he first met his future wife, Essex-born Beatrice Payne, who was working as a cocktail waitress. It was also at Club Durant that he met his future employer, Barnaby Coffin, who was impressed with his ability to defuse potential altercations without resorting to violence, although he was certainly able to handle himself when the necessity arose.Luther and Beatrice were married on June 20, 1931, at St. Thomas Church on 53rd Street, after which they moved to New Hampshire, where Luther began his employment with the Coffin family as a chauffeur. Their first child, a son named John, was born the following year, but died in infancy. After the sudden death in October 1932 of Ferguson Tate, the Coffins' previous butler, Luther took on the responsibilities of overseeing the household staff, and has held the position ever since. His daughter Penelope was born in Madbury on September 1, 1938, and grew up on the Coffinhurst Estate, eventually joining the domestic staff in 1945.
Description
Luther Dedham is a tall, thin, distinguished-looking gentleman of advanced years, standing 6’4” and weighing 155 lbs. His hair is white, and his eyes are a clear, sparkling gray. He has a large, aquiline nose, well suited to sniffing contemptuously. Although he has always attempted to conceal it, Luther walks with a very slight but discernable limp, as a result of his war wound. His complexion can only be described as sallow, and his features as gaunt. He presents a disinterested but stern, somewhat angular appearance, rarely smiling in public.Although not college educated, Luther has extensive worldly experience, is highly intelligent, extremely well read, and supremely well mannered, projecting an air of culture and dignity belying his humble upbringing. He speaks the Queen’s English with the resonant voice of a sergeant major, both refined and authoritative. He dresses conservatively, in the traditional attire of a continental gentleman’s gentleman. One would never know from appearances that he is out of his mind.
Personality
Luther Dedham is obsessed by extreme feelings of responsibility and duty, which have haunted him from his childhood, through his military days to the present. His sense of personal loyalty to the Coffin family knows no bounds, perhaps even exceeding his love for his own family. To all others he is haughty and condescending. He is very protective, almost possessive, of those for whom he feels responsible.For Luther, there is a right way and a wrong way for everything. He cuts no corners. Everything must be done “by the book.” He is no hypocrite; he strives to live up to the standards he sets for others. That is not to say he is perfect. In fact, his standards are so high as to be unattainable. He therefore suffers from severe feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, for which he overcompensates by pushing himself further, in a never-ending, destructive cycle.
Luther M. Dedham
BUTLER
Luther Dedham
Photo by Andrew Rivers, Dover, N.H.
Photo by Andrew Rivers, Dover, N.H.
Children
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born
29 May 1896
Colchester, Eng.
Parents
John Dedham
(1867-1930)
Eliza Munson
(1875-1942)
Education
Colchester Royal
Grammar School
Spouse
Beatrice Payne
(m. 20 June 1931)
Children
John Dedham
(1932-1934)
Penelope Dedham
(b. 27 Dec. 1938)
Religion
Episcopalian
Occupation
Butler
Military Service
British Army
(1914-1928)
…
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