Folkstone in Saxon, folcestane, Id est, Populi Lapis, or else, flostane, whiche signi∣fieth a rocke, or a flawe of stone.
AMongest the places lying on this shoare [ 640] (worthy of note) nexte after Douer, fol∣loweth Folkstone,* where Eanfled, or ra∣ther Eanswide, the daughter of Ead∣balde, the sonne of Ethelbert, and in or∣der of succession, the sixte King of Kent, long since erected a religious Pryorie of women, not in the place where S. Peters Churche at Folkstone nowe standeth, but Southe, from thence, where the Sea ma∣ny yeares agoe hath swalowed and eaten it. And yet, least you shoulde thinke S. Peters Parishe churche to be voyde of reuerence, I must let you knowe of Noua Legenda Angliae, that before the Sea had deuoured all, S. Eanswides reliques were translated thither: The author of that worke reporteth many wonders of this woman, as that she lengthened a beame of that building thrée foote, when the Carpenters (missing in their mea∣sure) had made it so muche too shorte: That she haled and drew water, ouer the hilles against nature: That she forbad certain rauenous birdes the countrey, which before did muche harme there abouts: That she resto∣red the blynde, caste out the Diuel, and healed innume∣rable folkes of their infirmities. And therefore af∣ter her deathe, she was by the policie of the Popishe priestes, and follie of the common people, honoured for a Sainct.
*And no maruail at all, for it was vsuall in Papistrie, not onely to magnifie their Benefactours of all sortes, but to edifie also (so many of them at the leaste) as were Page 137 of noble Parentage, knowing that thereby, triple com∣moditie ensued: the first, for as muche as by that meane, they assured many great personages vnto them: second∣ly, they drewe (by the awe of their example) infinite numbers of the common people after them: And lastly, they aduentured the more bouldly (vnder those honou∣rable, and glorious names and titles) to publishe their pouishe and pelting miracles. And this sure∣ly was the cause that Sexburge in Shepie, Mildred in Tanet, Etheldred at Elye, Edith at Wilton, and sundrie other simple women of Royall blood in eache quarter, were canonized Saincts: for generally the Religious, of those tymes, were as thankfull to their Benefactors, as euer were the heathen nations to their first Kings and founders: The one sort Sanctifying suche, as did either builde them houses, or deuise them orders: And the o∣ther Deifying suche, as had made them Cities, or prescri∣bed them Lawes and gouernement.
This was it that made Saturne, Hercules, Romulus, and others moe, to haue place (in common opinion) with the Gods aboue the starres, and this caused Dunstane, Edgar, Ethel would, and others, first to be shryued here in earth, and then to sit amongest the Saincts in Heauen. But let me now leaue their policie, and returne to the Hystorie. The Towne of Folkestone was sore spoyled [ 1052] by Earle Godwine and his Sonnes,* what time they harried that whole coast of Kent, for reuenge of their banishment, as we haue often before remembred.
The Hundred* of Folkstone, conteined in the time of King Edward the Confessour, a hundrethe and twentie ploughe landes, it had in it fiue Parishe Churches, it was valued at a hundrethe and ten poundes, & belonged to the Earle Godwine before named.
The Manor* was giuen to William Albranc (of Page 138 whome, I made mention in Douer) with condition, to finde one and twentie warders toward the defence of that Castle, and it grewe in time to be the head of an honour or Baronie, as in the Re∣cords of the Exchequer, re∣maineth as yet to bée séene.
