Folkestone (or Folkstone).-- mun. bor., corporate member of the Cinque Port of Dover, market and seaport town, and par., Kent, 6 miles SW. of Dover and 71 miles SE. of London by rail -- par., 4311 ac., pop. 19,297; town, 2306 ac., pop. 18,816; mun. bor., 2481 ac., pop. 18,986; corporate member of Dover, 806 ac., pop. 15,561; P.O., T.O., 1 Bank, 4 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. Folkestone was at an early period a place of importance. The first nunnery in England was established there by St Eanswitha, daughter of Eadbald, King of Kent, who himself had erected (630) a castle and a church at Folkestone. In 1092 Folkestone became the seat of a priory for Benedictine monks. After the Reformation its prosperity greatly declined, and it was a mere fishing village until the formation of the harbour in 1809. In 1844 it became the terminus of the South-Eastern Railway; and it is now the seat of the steam packet service to Boulogne, distant about 30 miles. It is also a summer resort, and has some fishing and a considerable shipping trade. (For shipping statistics, see Appendix.) A low water landing pier was erected in 1861, and the first stone of a deep water harbour was laid in October 1881. On the S. pier are 2 fixed lights seen 6 miles, and at the extremity of the new pier is a fixed light seen 6 miles. Folkestone was the birthplace of Harvey (1578-1657), discoverer of the circulation of the blood. The whole par. is within the parl. limits of Hythe.

(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))