England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Folkestone St Mary & St Eanswythe

The Parish

The parish of Folkestone lies in the extreme southeast of Kent forming a lengthy stretch of the county's coastline with the English Channel. Folkestone is located roughly 17 miles south of the city of Canterbury and 8 miles west of the port of Dover and sits at the end of the A20 road linking it to London. Folkestone has a long history, formed, initially as a monastic foundation by Eanswythe, her lead casket is believed to be that found in the church's sanctuary, in the early 6th century. It's position opposite France lead to fortification and in times those fortifications to increasing attack and depredation. In Domesday times Folkestone was one of the major towns of the country, it was also a market town for its area, the market granted by King John. Following dissolution the town's prospects fell and by the 16th century it was little more than a huddle of fishermen's cottages below the steep chalk hills inland. Beyond in the wider parish there was also a rural arable farming district with sheep an important secondary feature grazing the short turf of chalk downs. The coming of the railway and the mania for sea bathing brought prosperity back to Folkestone. Improvements to its port made it an important fishing port with mackerel and herring a speciality. In more modern times the port became a gateway to the continent with rail links directly to ferries. More recently still the modern M20 delivers visitors and travellers to the town whilst the construction of the Channel Tunnel in its northern suburbs has vastly enlarged the town such that it has become almost contiguous westwards through to Hythe. Thankfully the "old town" gathered around its harbour has been largely preserved and the beaches either side continue to attract day-trippers to this day. As a coastal community many drains take water into the nearby sea. Folkestone is sited between sea level and 140 metres (within its northeastern-most suburbs) with land as high as 175 metres very close by in rolling chalk downland. Folkestone parish was very extensive, at close to 4.350 acres it would have supported a population of around 4,300 parishioners. As already mentioned Folkestone was a major town and manor in Domesday times, held by Bishop Odo of Bayeux its list of assets is impressive; an incredible 96 ploughs were recorded as well large meadows and woodland tracts, supporting it and very valuable were 11 mills and a salthouse, with 395 households it was not only one of the largest 20% of settlements recorded but amongst the largest of all.

The Church

St Mary & St Eanswythe's church sits, appropriately enough, on the southern side of Church Street. Whilst the monastic foundation dates from the 7th century nothing of that earl date survives in today's church nevertheless it is an early church with parts dating back ti the late 12th century. The 2-bay arcades are believed to be this early sate whilst the sanctuary is given a date some 10 years later. The sanctuary is described by Pevsner as "lavish" and features those icons of the Early English Gothic style, lancets. Much else of the church comes from the great church-building era of the Perpendicular, in particular the central tower which probably replaced a former 13th century predecessor as the eastern responds are clearly of that century. Wills containing records of donation accurately date the construction of the aisles with the southern given as 1464, the northern as 1474. Early in the 18th century the church suffered a disaster as a vicious storm blew down two western bays of the nave leaving the church half-ruinous. It took until the mid 19th century for things to be fully rectified, a new nave and northern aisle being rebuilt between 1759 & 1860, the southern chancel aisle and transept were similarly rebuilt in 1869, the porch and mighty west window in 1872 and the southern aisle in 1874 completed restoration. Despite all of this attention further work came in 1885 when a reredos and sanctuary arcading were added to complete today's church. The church, being within the town, is best visited after finding one of the many car parks. For the photographer the church presents a challenge, hemmed in to the south by buildings on Priory Gardens only northern aspects hold satisfactory views and they too are impeded by a plethora of trees, a difficult church made more so on a sunny day.