FOLKESTONE, (Kent) bet. Dover and Hythe, a member of the Cinque-Port of Dover, 60 cm. 69 mm. from London, appears to have
been a very ancient place, from the Roman coins and British brick often found in it. Here was formerly a nunnery; but so
near the coast, that it was often pillaged by the Danes, and at last swallowed up by the sea; when the manor came to the
crown, and was by K. Canute settled on Christ-Ch.-abbey in Canterbury. Soon after the conqueror came, a priory was erected
here, and the manor settled on it, by consent of the Abp. and convent of Christ-Ch. After the Diss. Hen. VIII. granted it
to Edward Ld. Clinton, who sold it to Thomas Ld. Cromwell; on whose attainder it reverted to the crown, and was regranted
to Ld. Clinton; by whom it was conveyed to Mr. Herdson, whose descendant gave it to his nephew, Sir Basil Dixwell. Here is
a ch. sc. for 20 boys, to be nominated by the mayor and jurats, who, with the commonalty constitute the corp. A copious
spring runs through the T. but it is of chief note for the multitude of fishing-boats that bel. to its harbour, which are
employed at the season in catching mackerel for London; to which they are carried by the mackerel-boats of London and
Barking. About Michaelmas, the Folkstone-barks, with others from Sussex, go away to the Suffolk and Norfolk coasts, to
catch herrings for the merchants of Yarmouth and Leostoff. There is a ridge of chalky rocks, all the way from hence to
Dover; and it has been observed of some of them, that they have visibly sunk and grown lower, within the memory of man.
This place gives title of Visc. to Bouverie Ld. Longford. There are yet visible some ruins of a fort in the S. part of the
T. built, near 700 years ago, by one of the governors of Dover-Castle; and upon a hill in this T. yet called Castle-Hill,
was a watchtower. The Mt. here was Th. by grants of K. John and Edw. III. tho' Sir John Clinton obtained of Rich. II. that
it should be on W. and a Fair on St. Giles and its eve. Dr. Harvey, who is called the father of physicians, for having
discovered the circulation of the blood, was born at this place.