FOLKESTONE BOROUGH

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FOLKESTONE BOROUGH

(1308)-1978

A full series of Council and Committee Minutes follow after 1835

Chamberlains' Accounts, including many vouchers, survive complete from 1780; but, prior to this, the only survival is a single volume for 1515, 1541-45

The Folkestone Sessions Records are of considerable interest and variety, but here again there are gaps. The earliest volume commences in 1604. There are sacrament certificates from 1724, oath rolls from 1746, and papers and files from 1767. Of particular note are documents relating to the licensing of Roden's Printing Press, 1806, and to the early theatre on the Bayle, 1804

In the mid-1960's a considerable bulk of archival material was deposited by the Town Clerk, Borough Treasurer, and Borough Engineer. The former included correspondence covering a wide range of topics, assorted legal papers, copy title deeds, and some plans. The Treasurer's records continue from where the Chamberlain's finish in 1835. The Borough Engineer's records include a very fine series of plans and another of photographs

Two special authorities, established in the 18th century, have given rise to an interesting series of administrative and financial records relating to street improvements and nuisances (The Paving Commission), and to sea defence (The Jettee Commission)

Folkestone's position on the coast and its proximity to the Continent of Europe has also had a particular bearing upon what survives in the archives. The Port, as a 'Member' of Dover, belongs to the Cinque Port Confederation, so that the Borough Archives includes documentation relating to Cinque Port affairs in general. Of particular interest are the Lieutenancy Returns of 1803, an exceptional accumulation of papers detailing the arrangements to evacuate the Town and to assist the military at the time of the Napoleonic threat. Folkestone's position in the 'Front Line' is also evident in papers relating to the 1st World War, including evacuation and war refugees, and again to the 2nd, concerning evacuation, the Home Guard, and air raids

Fo/A ADMINISTRATION (1308)-1974

Fo/AM1 Minutes of the Common Assembly 1605-1835

Fo/AM2 Minutes of the Council 1835-1974

Fo/AM3 Minutes of the Council as Inspectors 1841-1855

Fo/AM4 Council minutes: Improvement and Public Health Act series 1855-1898

Fo/AM5 Minutes of the Mayor and Assessors (election of councillors) 1835-1934

Fo/AMc Committee Minutes 1836-1898

Fo/AMc1 Watch Committee 1836-1864

Fo/AMc2 Committee of the Council 1855-1897

Fo/AMc3 Minute book of Committees 1856-1877

Fo/AMc4 Finance Committee 1856-1891

Fo/AMc5 General Purposes and Miscellaneous Committee 1856-1898

Fo/AMc Post 1898 Committee Minutes 1898-1974

Fo/AMc6 Finance Committee 1898-1940

Fo/AMc7 Finance, Superannuation, Salaries and Wages Committee 1941-1945

Fo/AMc8 Superannuation, Reconstruction Committee 1924-1945

Fo/AMc9 Watch Committee 1898-1941

Fo/AMc10 Buildings Committee 1898-1906

Fo/AMc11 Highways, Public Works and Drainage, Highways and Buildings Committee 1898-1939

Fo/AMc12 Sanitary and Hospitals, Health Committee 1898-1921

Fo/AMc13 Parks Committee 1910-1940

Fo/AMc14 Health, Highways and Buildings, Parks Committee 1939-1945

Fo/AMc15 General Purposes Committee 1898-1932

Fo/AMc16 Technical Instruction Committee 1898-1903

Fo/AMc17 Education Committee 1909-1939

Fo/AMc18 Library and Museum Committee 1898-1940

Fo/AMc19 Education, Library and Museum Committee 1941-1945

Fo/AMc20 Lighting Committee 1898-1926

Fo/AMc21 Cleansing Committee 1906-1926

Fo/AMc22 Lighting and Cleansing Committee 1926-1932

Fo/AMc23 Special Committee 1902-1918

Fo/AMc24 Entertainments Committee 1926-1940

Fo/AMc25 Entertainments and Emergency Feeding Committee 1941-1945

Fo/AMc26 Rating and Valuation Committee 1926-1936

Fo/AMc27 Rating and Valuation, Valuation Committee 1936-1950

Fo/AMc28 Special Committee 1940-1941

Fo/AMc29 Highways Committee 1962-1968

Fo/AMc30 Highways and Watch Committee 1968-1974

Fo/AMc31 Health and Housing Committee 1963-1974

Fo/AMc32 Establishment Committee 1945-1968

Fo/AMc33 Finance and Establishment Committee 1968-1974

Fo/AMc34 Housing and Town Planning Committee 1945-1963

Fo/AMc35 Town Planning Committee 1963-1974

Fo/AMc36 Miscellaneous Committees 1920-1963

Fo/AMc37 Civil Defence Committee 1938-1968

Fo/AMc38 Management Services Committee 1971-1974

Fo/AMd1 Draft Council minutes 1853-1865

Fo/AMd2 Draft Committee minutes 1850-1865

Fo/AMe1-2 Certificates of emergency 1933-1974

Fo/AC Committee Papers 1894-1953

Fo/AC1 Elham Emergency Committee 1914-1918

Fo/AC2 Folkestone War Refugees Committee 1916

Fo/AC3 Sunday Concerts for Soldiers Committee 1915-1918

Fo/AC4 Library and Museums Committee: war photographs exhibition 1916-1918

Fo/AC5 Folkestone War Memorial Museum Committee 1917-1920

Fo/AC6 Folkestone War Memorial Committee 1919-1923

Fo/AC7 Boundaries Extension 1930-1934

Fo/AC8 Coronation 1952-1953

Fo/AC9 Electric lighting 1894

Fo/AC10 Education 1913-1943

Fo/AC11 Reconstruction Committee 1942-1943

Fo/AA1-6 Assize of bread 1796-1808

Fo/AB1-3 Borough byelaws 1851x1924

Fo/ABd1-2 Urban District byelaws (Pleasure Grounds and Hawkinge Cemetery) 1914-1943

Fo/AD1-22 Town Clerk's diaries 1952-1973

Fo/AI1-7 Incorporation (1308)-1629

Fo/AL1 Legal (1327)

Fo/AO1-5 Officers' appointments 1675-1949

Fo/APc1-2 Planning: Folkestone and District Joint Town Planning Committee 1928-1930

Fo/ARc1-3 Town Clerk/Clerk to the Urban Authority: registers (various) 1857-1948

Fo/ARn1-2 Inspector of Nuisances: registers (various) 1858-1938

Fo/ARs1/1-9 Surveyor and Engineer: registers (private streets: charges and payments) 1894-1903

Fo/ARw1 Watch: registers (pedlars' certificates) 1912-1945

Fo/AUj1-2 Utilities: jetty commissioners 1767-1845

Fo/AUp1-5 Utilities: pavement commissioners 1796-1855

Fo/AV1-81 Improvement Act papers 1772-1897

Fo/AW1-2 Weights and Measures 1881-1972

Fo/AZ1 Miscellaneous: census returns 1801-1821

Fo/AZ2-5 Miscellaneous 1804-1937

Fo/AZ6 Miscellaneous: Royal Institute of Public Health (Folkestone Congress, 1904) 1903-1904

Fo/AZ7 Miscellaneous: Royal Sanitary Institute (Folkestone Congress, 1921) 1913-1921

Fo/AZ8 Miscellaneous: Folkestone Corporation (poll of electors) 1909

Fo/AZ9 Standing orders 1967

Fo/BB BURIAL BOARD

Fo/BBa Administration

Fo/BBa1-3 Minutes 1855-1934

Fo/BBa4 Registration 1884-1938

Fo/BBa5 Registers 1890

Fo/BBa6 Pamphlets not dated

Fo/BBc Correspondence 1951-1961

Fo/BBf Finance

Fo/BBf1 General Management Account 1878-1896

Fo/BBf2 Personal Accounts 1876-1897

Fo/BBf3 Clerk's Cash Account 1860-1951

Fo/BBf4 Orders to Pay 1857-1898

Fo/BBf5 Wages 1930-1934

Fo/BBI Legal 1855-1898

Fo/BBt Title

Fo/BBt1 Conveyances 1855-1928

Fo/BBt2 Grants of Right of Burial 1857-1945

Fo/BBt3 Grave Space Maintenance Agreements 1931-1934

Fo/BBt4 Contracts 1890-1930

Fo/BBz Miscellaneous

Fo/C CORRESPONDENCE

Fo/CC Town Clerk

Fo/CC1 General Correspondence 1784-1953

Fo/CC2 General File Series 1859-1951

Fo/CC3 World War II 1940-1951

Fo/CC4 Royal Occasions Series 1911-1952

Fo/CC5 Loans 1888-1926

Fo/CC6 Borough Library Service 1900-1956

Fo/CC7 Charities 1899-1923

Fo/CC8 Institute of Civil Engineers 1951

Fo/CC9 Local Government Re-organisation 1934-1967

Fo/CC10 Twinning 1957-1972

Fo/CCd Clerk to the Urban Authority

Fo/CCd1 General Correspondence 1884-1895

Fo/CCd2 File Series 1902-1939

Fo/CCd3 Private Street Works 1885-1921

Fo/CCd4 Diversion and Stopping up of Roads and Footpaths 1886-1905

Fo/CCd5 Loans 1876-1924

Fo/CCd6 Electric Lighting 1888-1919

Fo/CCd7 South Eastern and Chatham Railways 1870-1896

Fo/CE Clerk to the Folkestone Borough Education Committee 1936-1937

Fo/CL Librarian

Fo/CL1 Coronation Programme, 1953 1936-1953

Fo/CL2 Silver Jubilee Programme, 1935 1935

Fo/CM Mayor 1891-1951

Fo/CT Treasurer 1926-1939

Fo/CP CINQUE PORTS

Fo/CPb Brotherhood and Guestling 1866-1973

Fo/CPd Dover Castle Accounts of Poor Prisoners 1817-1834

Fo/CPm Lieutenancy 1779-1803

Fo/CPw Lord Warden 1741-1947

Fo/CPz Miscellaneous 1721-1934

Fo/F FINANCE

Fo/FC Chamberlains

Fo/FC1 Chamberlains Accounts 1515-1835

Fo/FC2 Chamberlains Assessments 1776-1835

Fo/FCz Chamberlains Miscellaneous Papers 1791-1809

Fo/FM Mayor's Accounts 1811-1835

Fo/FR Rating and Valuation

Fo/FR2 Rate Summaries 1954-1960

Fo/FR3 Rate Arrears 1943-1953

Fo/FR4 Summons Lists 1938-1957

Fo/FR5 Valuation Lists 1929-1944

Fo/FRd Rating and Valuation: Urban District

Fo/FRd1 General Rate 1905-1920

Fo/FRd2 Valuation Records 1926

Fo/FT Treasurer's Accounts: Borough

Fo/FT1 Borough Rate Capital Account 1879-1897

Fo/FT2 Borough Rate Account: Ledgers 1855-1897

Fo/FT3 Borough Rate Account: Cash Books 1854-1895

Fo/FT4 Borough Fund 1908-1922

Fo/FT5 General Rate Fund: Ledgers 1922-1946

Fo/FT6 Police Superannuation Fund Account 1860-1898

Fo/FT7 Technical Schools Account 1895-1898

Fo/FT8 Corporation & Urban District Sinking Fund 1905-1936

Fo/FT9 Housing Assisted Scheme: Revenue Account 1920-1935

Fo/FT10 Housing Account: Rents 1926-1929

Fo/FT11 Housing Account: Summary of Rents Collected 1930-1939

Fo/FT Treasurer's Accounts: Borough

Fo/FT12 Register of Advances & Debtors Ledger 1933-1947

Fo/FT13 Libraries & Museum Account 1898-1921

Fo/FT14 Civic Restaurants: Goods Received Account 1941-1944

Fo/FT15 Summary Collection & Deposit Books 1950-1951

Fo/FT16 Town Hall: Accounts 1929-1951

Fo/FT17 Bailiff's Accounts 1944-1962

Fo/FTd Treasurer's Accounts: Urban District

Fo/FTd1 General Rate Capital Account 1856-1879

Fo/FTd2 General Rate Account 1854-1898

Fo/FTd3 General Rate Account 1854-1897

Fo/FTd4 Urban District Fund 1901-1922

Fo/FTd5 Sewer Rate Capital Account 1862-1888

Fo/FTd6 General Sewers Rate Account 1879-1888

Fo/FTd7 Lighting Rate Account 1879-1888

Fo/FTd8 Public Works Capital Account 1888-1898

Fo/FTd9-10 Private Street Improvement Account 1876-1898

Fo/FTd12 Apportionment Accounts: Streets 1886-1897

Fo/FTd13 Street Improvements 1888-1903

Fo/FTd14 Private Street Works 1900-1903

Fo/FTd15 Coal Dues 1892-1897

Fo/FTd16 Sundry Debtors Account 1895-1900

Fo/FTd17 Debtors Ledger: Private Street Works Act 1892 1893-1936

Fo/FTd18 Grants 1922-1935

Fo/FUj Commissioners of Jettees

Fo/FUj1 Treasurer's Account Books 1786-1845

Fo/FUj2 Treasurer's Vouchers 1785-1845

Fo/FUp Commissioners of Pavements

Fo/FUp2 Treasurer's Vouchers 1834-1851

Fo/FUp3 Coal Dues 1839-1844

Fo/FZ Miscellaneous: Borough

Fo/FZ1 Mortgages 1883-1893

Fo/FZ2 Estimates 1888-1969

Fo/FZ3 Election Expenses 1894-1915

Fo/FZ4 Poor Rate Liability 1923-1931

Fo/FZ5 Abstracts of Accounts 1868-1968

Fo/FZ6 Financial Statements 1918-1970

Fo/FZd Miscellaneous: Urban District

Fo/FZd1 Mortgages 1878-1893

Fo/FZd2 Redeemed Debentures 1879-1883

Fo/FZd3 Sanctions to Loans 1896-1900

Fo/G TOWN SERGEANT

Fo/G1 Diaries 1937-1946

Fo/G2 Letter-Books 1938-1948

Fo/H MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH

Fo/H1 Public Health Act: Orders and Approvals 1850-1928

Fo/H2 Folkestone Borough and Port Health Authority: Annual Reports 1965-1969

Fo/H3 Cross Channel Traffic 1914-1916

Fo/H4 Great Fenchurch Street Clearance Area 1936-1937

Fo/L LEGAL

Fo/L Borough

Fo/L1 Cases for Opinion 1857-1896

Fo/L2 Folkestone Harbour & the South Eastern Railway Branch Line 1807-1897

Fo/L3 Folkestone Waterworks Company 1857-1934

Fo/L4 Folkestone Gas & Coke Company Ltd. 1864-1920

Fo/L5/1-24 The Folkestone Extension Bill, 1895 1887-1897

Fo/L5/25 Acts relating to other Authorities 1881-1891

Fo/L6 Folkestone Corporation Bill, 1920 1847-1920

Fo/L7 The Folkestone Extension Bill, 1895 (Additional Papers) 1849-1896

Fo/Lc Common Assembly

Fo/Lc1-2 Decrees and Orders 1545-1650

Fo/Ld Urban Authority

Fo/Ld1 Cases for Opinion 1861-1906

Fo/Ld2 Coal Dues 1829-1904

Fo/Ld3 Kings Arms Arbitration 1881-1882

Fo/Ld4 Folkestone Electricity Supply Company Ltd. 1889-1941

Fo/Ld Urban Authority

Fo/Ld5/1-23, 26-27

Fo/Tontine Street Flooding 1892-1896

Fo/Ld5/24-25 Howard v. Corporation 1896-1897

Fo/Ld6 Gordon Hotels v. Corporation 1894-1904

Fo/Ld7 Blane v. Corporation 1901-1907

Fo/Ld8 Faulkner v. Corporation 1901-1903

Fo/Ld9 Sewer Outfall and Discharge of Flood Water 1901-1920

Fo/Ld10 Cheriton Road Improvement 1901-1905

Fo/Ld11 Cases before the Royal Courts of Justice 1872-1893

Fo/Ld12 Corporation v. Lewis James Drake Brockman: Lower Sandgate Road 1827-1914

Fo/Ld13 Acts and Bills 1847-1909

Fo/Ld14 Folkestone Corporation Act, 1920, relating to provision of ashbins and repairs 1953

Fo/Ld15 Rates and Duties leviable by South Eastern Railway Company 1893

Fo/Ld16 Orders of the Local Government Board 1915

Fo/Ld17 Electric Lighting: Folkestone Corporation & Mrs W.B. Hopkins 1894-1897

Fo/Q CHARITY

Fo/QA Administration

Fo/QAm Minute books 1861-1959

Fo/QAr Registers 1896-1978

Fo/QC Correspondence

Fo/QC1 Charitable Trustees of Folkestone Borough 1837-1844

Fo/QF Accounts

Fo/QF1 Folkestone Charities 1814-1862

Fo/QF2,6-8, 11,13-14

Fo/Jacob, Stone & Jenkins Charity 1844-1926

Fo/QF3 Public Charities & Sir Eliab Harvey's Charity 1814-1838

Fo/QF4 Treasurer's to the Charitable Trustees Vouchers 1836-1865

Fo/QF5 Consolidated Annuities 1825-1830

Fo/QF9, 13 Folly Allottments 1886-1902

Fo/QF10 Stredwich & Hunt's Memorial Charity 1888-1895

Fo/QF12 Thomas Stone's Charity 1896

Fo/QF15 Cheriton Road Allottments 1922-1926

Fo/QF16 General Ledger 1894-1929

Fo/QF17 Ledger: Ground Rents 1885-1959

Fo/QF18 Cash Book 1894-1955

Fo/QH Sir Eliab Harvey's Charity

Fo/QHa1 Minutes 1674-1940

Fo/QHa2 Draft Minutes 1884-1896

Fo/QHa3 Government 1913

Fo/QHa4 Governors 1886-1896

Fo/QHa5 Registers 1814-1913

Fo/QHa6 Prospectuses 1930's

Fo/QH Sir Eliab Harvey's Charity

Fo/QHc Clerk's Correspondence and Papers 1677-1901

Fo/QHf1 Accounts 1676-1964

Fo/QHf2 Vouchers 1688-1936

Fo/QHf3 Banking 1846-1955

Fo/QHf4 School Fees 1895-1899

Fo/QHf5 Clerks' Files and Papers 1887-1964

Fo/QH11 Charity Commission 1856-1905

Fo/QH12 Board of Education 1902-1912

Fo/QH13 Cases for Opinion 1818-1819

Fo/QHt1 Conveyances 1596-1937

Fo/QHt2 Bonds 1702-1821

Fo/QHt3 Contracts 1672-1927

Fo/QHt4 Trust Deeds 1906-1929

Fo/QHz Miscellaneous 1883-1900

Fo/QL Legal 1829-1925

Fo/QT Title

Fo/QTa Abstracts of Title 1865

Fo/QTe1 Personal Estate 1794-1822

Fo/QTe2 Estate: General 1787-1897

Fo/QT1 Leases of Charity Lands 1610-1836

Fo/QZ Miscellaneous 1820-1934

Fo/R REGISTRATION AND DEPOSIT

Fo/RF Freedom 1782-1835

Fo/RP Burgess Rolls 1835-1877

Fo/RT Window, Land and House Tax Assessments 1777-1785

Fo/S SURVEYOR AND ENGINEER

Fo/S1 Borough Engineer's Photographs

Fo/S1/1 Accidents 1927-1929

Fo/S1/2 Agricultural Show 1929

Fo/S1/3 Air Raid Damage 1917

Fo/S1/4 Various Streets and Places 1896-1946

Fo/S2 Borough Engineer's Photographic Card Index 1920-1925

Fo/S3 Borough Engineer's Glass Negatives 1900-1940

Fo/S4 General Information Books 1901-1930

Fo/S5 Meteorological Records 1909-1919

Fo/S6 Borough Engineer's Diary 1943

Fo/S7 Second World War Damage and Post-War Reconstruction 1939-1955

Fo/S8 Estimates 1923-1960

Fo/S9 Acts of Parliament 1845-1855

Fo/T TITLE

Fo/T Conveyances

Fo/T1-5 Folkestone 1893-1936

Fo/T6 Lympne 1595

Fo/T7 Capel-le-Ferne and Hawkinge 1920

Fo/T8 Sandgate 1868-1957

Fo/T9 Hythe 1938

Fo/Td Conveyances: Urban District 1742-1924

Fo/TA Abstract of Title 1765-1897

Fo/TC Contracts and Agreements

Fo/TC1 Folkestone and Capel-le-Ferne 1841

Fo/TC2-10 Folkestone 1891-1950

Fo/TC11-14 Harcourt Council Schools 1936-1938

Fo/TC15-16 Public Library and Museum 1912-1923

Fo/TC17-24 Contracts 1929-1973

Fo/TCd Contracts and Agreements: Urban District 1872-1924

Fo/TL Leases

Fo/TL1-11 Folkestone 1488-1925

Fo/TL12 Sandgate 1773-1799

Fo/TOd Clearance Orders: Urban District

Fo/TOd1 Warren Road 1927-1929

Fo/TOd2 Radnor Street Clearance Area 1929-1938

Fo/TOd3 Charlotte Street 1933-1934

Fo/TOd4 Fenchurch Street Clearance Areas 1933-1940

Fo/W WATCH

Fo/W1 Telegrams to the Chief Constable: First World War 1914-1917

Fo/W2 Air Raids: Second World War 1940-1944

Fo/W3 Alerts and Warnings: Second World War 1942-1945

Fo/W4 Civil Defence 1939-1945

Fo/Z FINAL MISCELLANEOUS

Fo/Z1 Folkestone Charitable Organisation Society

Fo/Z1/AD Diary and Committee Report Books 1886-1920

Fo/Z1/AL Loan Fund: Repayment and Case Books 1891-1923

Fo/Z1/AM Minutes of Monthly Meetings 1886-1913

Fo/Z1/AR Register of Applications 1904-1907

Fo/Z1/AZ Miscellaneous Administrative Records 1909-1921

Fo/Z1C Correspondence 1907-1940

Fo/Z1/F1 Ledgers 1899-1927

Fo/Z1/F2 Journals 1908-1923

Fo/Z1/F3 Cash Books 1888-1936

Fo/Z1/F4 Statement of Accounts 1908-1916

Fo/P MAPS AND PLANS

Fo/PC Town Clerk

Fo/PC1 Railways 1876-1894

Fo/PC2 Tramways 1897-1903

Fo/PC3 Pier and Lift 1877

Fo/PC4 Folkestone Water 1897

Fo/PC5 Electric Lighting 1882

Fo/PC6 Folkestone Kursaal not dated

Fo/PC7 Band Pavilion 1913-1914

Fo/PC8 Sewerage 1914

Fo/PC9 Corporation Offices 1903

Fo/PC10 Cemetery 1922

Fo/PC11 Radnor Estate 1901-1933

Fo/PC12 General Plans 1851-1898

Fo/PC13 Miscellaneous 1923

Fo/PS Surveyor and Engineer

Fo/PS1 Martello Towers 1921-1923

Fo/PS2 Shorncliffe Camp 1890-1896

Fo/PS3 First World War 1916-1927

Fo/PS4 Second World War 1938-1945

Fo/PS5 Town Hall 1891-1944

Fo/PS6 Public Baths, Foord Road 1896

Fo/PS7 Metropole Hotel 1894-1895

Fo/PS8 Refuse Destructor 1903-1936

Fo/PS9 Radnor Park 1886-1898

Fo/PS10 Cheriton Road Sports Ground 1923

Fo/PS11 Town Dyke 1915

Fo/PS12 Folkestone Improvements: General 1852-1882

Fo/PS13 Improvement Works: Streets and Footpaths 1872-1945

Fo/PS14 Housing 1919

Fo/PS15 Conveniences 1900-1938

Fo/PS16 Sanatorium 1877-1922

Fo/PS17 Folkestone and Cheriton Drainage 1851-1935

Fo/PS18 Sewer Outfall 1892-1939

Fo/PS19 East Cliff Sewerage Improvement Scheme 1903

Fo/PS20 West Folkestone Sewerage 1893-1894

Fo/PS21 Pent Stream 1890

Fo/PS22 Martha's Dyke 1894

Fo/PS23 Sewers: Estates 1902

Fo/PS24 Sewers: Streets 1872-1944

Fo/PS25 Sewers: Miscellaneous 1861-1913

Fo/PS26 Boundaries: Folkestone and Sandgate 1889

Fo/PS27 Leas and Undercliff 1905-1922

Fo/PS28 East Cliff 1936

Fo/PS29 Railway Schemes 1880

Fo/PS30 Fire Service 1936

Fo/PS31 Corporation Offices 1900-1945

Fo/PS32 Folkestone Water 1898

Fo/PS33 Bradstone Yard 1895

Fo/PS34 Shelters: Beach and Park 1883

Fo/PS35 Harcourt Schools 1935-1937

Fo/PS36 Miscellaneous 1881-1911

English

162.5 linear metres

Documents are open for consultation unless otherwise indicated

Deposited by Folkestone Borough Council and Shepway District Council

Finally, mention should be made of the accumulation of papers transferred from a very damp cellar in the Town Hall in 1977. These included material concerning Folkestone Charities - an important supplement to the Charity records already held; and a notable series of 'Improvement Papers', created in consequence of the 1855 Act, which show something of the changes taking place in the appearance of the Town in the second half of the 19th century.

Folkestone, as a 'Member' of the Town and Port of Dover, one of the Cinque Ports, received its constitution from the Charters which applied to those ports in general. The earliest document in the possession of the Town had been, as noted, the Charter of Incorporation of 1313; today, the oldest survivals are charters dated 1328 and 1331.

Eventually, the body corporate was settled as consisting of 12 jurats, including the Mayor (who was an ex-officio coroner) and 24 commoners, selected from amongst the freemen of the Town. The Mayor and Chamberlain were elected annually on 8th September. The Corporation was entitled to hold its own courts of Sessions of the Peace and Gaol Delivery, and there were courts of Record and of Requests.

Folkestone benefited, from Tudor times, from a number of charities, the first originating in a grant by William Jacob in 1569. The most famous bequest, that of £200 left by Dr. William Harvey' for the use of the Poor', came in the following century, and formed the basis for Sir Eliab Harvey's Foundation - the Harvey Grammar School, in 1674. The records of the School and of various other charities survive amongst the archives held at the East Kent Archives Centre.

Another aspect of the Harvey Charity was the establishment of the Tanlade, which reflects the fact that fishing was once the principal industry of the Town. The fishing community, and indeed the Town itself, was in continual peril from the inroads of the sea. Thus, in 1766 an Act was passed 'for the Support and Preservation of the Parish Church and Lower part of the Town'. Under this, a Commission of Jettees was established and a duty levied on all coals brought into the Town to pay for the necessary works of sea defence.

In 1796 an Act was passed 'for paving repairing and cleansing the Highways Streets and Lanes in the Town of Folkestone & Liberty Thereof ... and for removing the preventing Nuisances and Annoyances therein'. This established a Commission of the Paving to which the Surveyors of the Highway were to produce accounts. Assessors were appointed and rates levied, including a new rate on coal sold.

In 1807, during the French Wars, another Act was passed - 'For constructing a Pier and Harbour at or near the Town of Folkestone.' A Harbour Company was established and empowered to levy rates and duties. Building work proceeded rapidly. In 1818 an Amending Act was passed 'for varying the Limits and Improving and Rendering more Commodious the said Pier and Harbour'. Nevertheless, the difficulties encountered were too great, and not until the South Eastern Railway Company purchased the undertaking in 1842 was the foundation laid for success. Indeed, the coming of the Railway to Folkestone in 1843, the development of the Harbour during the course of the 19th century, and the establishment of the London and Continental Packet Company to carry on a regular cross Channel service with Boulogne led to a great expansion of the Town and Port. Lord Radnor encouraged building activity, and by the end of the century Folkestone had become a major holiday resort of a rather select type.

A series of Acts from 1848 reflect the increasing importance of the place: Waterworks (1848), Improvement (1855), Gas Lighting (1865) and Electricity (1897). The Folkestone Improvement Act [18 & 19 Victoria cap. cxlvii] - 'An Act to extend the limits of the Borough of Folkestone; to enable the Corporation ... to construct a Market House; to make certain New Streets and other Improvements; and to pave, light, drain, and otherwise improve the said Borough' - was itself a landmark in the growth and expansion of the Town. It not only enlarged the Borough, by adding to it a substantial part of the Parish of Folkestone (in 1850 a small portion in the south west of the Parish of Folkestone had been brought within the Jurisdiction of the new Sandgate Local Board of Health); it gave to the Corporation extensive powers of purchase and sale, street and drainage improvement, police matters, bye-laws, and rating. It led directly to the building of a new Town Hall on the site of the old Cistern House.

The Corporation now acted in a dual capacity: as a Town Council under the Municipal Corporation Act (1835), and as the authority for carrying out the Folkestone Improvement Act (1855). In 1875, it acquired a third role when so much of the Borough as was not included in the Local Government District of Sandgate was designated an Urban Sanitary District. This has been reflected in the arrangement of the Archives. Thus, for example, the Town Clerk acted in a dual capacity as Clerk to the Borough Council [CC] and Clerk to the Urban Authority [CCd].

In 1895, proposals were put forward to extend further the boundaries of the Borough at the expense of Sandgate - but this aroused opposition. The next great expansion of the Borough in territorial terms came in 1934 when, under the Kent Review Order, the Urban Districts of Cheriton and Sandgate ceased to exist. (For the records of Cheriton UDC and Sandgate Local Board of Health and UDC, see UD/Ct and UD/Sg respectively.) They were both incorporated into a greatly enlarged Borough of Folkestone, save for a small portion of Cheriton which was absorbed into the Borough of Hythe.

Finally, in 1974 (under the Local Government Act, 1972), Folkestone itself ceased to exist as an administrative unit, being absorbed, along with the Boroughs of Hythe, Lydd, and New Romney, and the Rural Districts of Elham and Romney Marsh into the new District of Shepway. (For the records of Elham RDC and Romney Marsh RDC see RD/El and RD/RM respectively.)