Folkestone & District
Family History Society

2026

Starting in 2026 and initially for 1 year:
ZOOMS every 2 months on 3rd Thursday.

January 8th

HALL – (I week later than usual due to Bank Holiday) Your most notorious ancestor – Members

January 22nd

ZOOM – Canterbury Cathedral Archives: overview with special emphasis on Parish Collections – The Cathedral Archives and Library hold an impressive collection of manuscripts, historic records, photographs, maps, plans, seals and books dating back to the late 8th century. The records of the Dean and Chapter date back to the late 8th century; there are some 20 Anglo-Saxon charters which date from before the Norman Conquest. – Cressida Williams (Cressida Williams leads the staff team of the Cathedral Archives and Library)

February 5th

HALL – Farming Records: Estates, Tenants, Agricultural Occupations – Janet Adamson

March 5th

HALL – Parish Registers: Problems and Pitfalls – Peter Ewart

March 19th

ZOOM – Quarter Session Records: It would be unusual if your ancestor did not appear in Quarter Session records. Besides petty crime the Quarter Sessions administered many local government functions including licensing, local taxes, market and fairs. The records are perhaps the most comprehensive of any English Court and this talk examines their value to family historians and guides you through the content of the records. – Ian Waller

April 2nd

HALL – Who put Grimston into Grimston Gardens – Debbie Jones

May 7th

VISIT – Shorncliffe Trust tour at 10:15 AM for 10:30 AM with Chris Shaw. Price per person £10 payable on the day (no credit or bank cards). Booking required, please e-mail: publications@folkfhs.org.uk
  Meeting just outside Shorncliffe cemetery at 10:15. Tour will start at 10:30 with a short Health and Safety brief, followed by a talk on the history of Shorncliffe. We will then be taken to the Napoleonic Redoubt (which has been featured on Time Team) followed by a walk to the WWI trenches. The tour will end back at the cemetery.
  Sensible walking footwear is recommended as the distance travelled on the tour is approximately 1000m over ex-military ground, woodland and bridle path. On the walk there is an incline and a stile, so good mobility is required. There is car parking on site but no toilet facilities.
  Location details: Official address: Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Sandgate, Folkestone CT20 3WT. It is at the start of Sandy Lane, just off West Road (B2063) from Cheriton down to Sandgate. Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/r9y6RRLaLTNLkrT57

May 21st

ZOOM – Documents from overseas – Janet Defrémont

June 2nd OR 4th (TBC)

VISIT – TBC – Elham Valley WW1 trenches – Tours starting at 10:30 am around Hawthorne Trench’s replica trench systems.
  (From Hawthorne Trench Facebook page) There is no better way to commemorate those who fought and died in the Great War than to get an understanding of what they went through over 100 years ago.
  It’s a great day out for both family’s and individuals with the opportunity to experience WW1 Trench life from both an English and German perspective. The visit is very hands on and everyone has the opportunity to try on uniforms, equipment and get an immersive experience through the trenches.
  The tour will take you through both British and German trench systems separated by no-man’s land. Inside the trenches you’ll be able to explore every aspect from the frontlines through to dugouts, cook houses, dressing stations and much more.
  The tours will last around 2 – 2 ½ hrs in Elham near Canterbury. The pricing for visitors is £10. Address: Cullens Hill, Elham, Canterbury CT4. Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nmY3uuAqtrUYSbAG6

July 2nd

VISIT – Recording local commemorative benches project –

July 16th

ZOOM – TBC – British Maps at the National Library of Scotland. – Jeremy Wilkes

August 6th

HALL – Kentish Clerical Errors: We look to the clergy as exemplars of Christian behaviour, but historically this has not always been the case. Ed Adams will guide you through local stories of ministerial misbehaviour and priestly peccadilloes from the Victorian and Edwardian eras with a talk that promises to be amusing, shocking and thought-provoking. – Ed Adams

September 3rd

HALL – Talk – Hilary Tolputt

September 17th

ZOOM – TBC – Conveyancing – Jeremy Wilkes

October 1st

HALL – AGM followed by short talk: Local Scandals –

November 5th

HALL – Presenting Local commemorative benches results. –

November 19th

ZOOM – Zoom Quiz activity: 2 or 3 questions prepared by each one of us –

December 3rd

HALL – Christmas Dinner + Liz’s deceptively easy Christmas Quiz –