Fordwich Genealogical Records
Fordwich Birth & Baptism Records
An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Records of baptism for people born in and around Fordwich between 1683 and 1912. Details include child's name, parents' names and dates of birth and/or baptism.
Over 130,000 extracted baptism from 207 parishes in Kent. The names of those involved can be searched via an index and are connected to images of the transcription notebooks.
Browsable images of summaries of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.
Browsable images of registers the recorded baptisms, marriages and burials in Kent. Names are not indexed.
Fordwich Marriage & Divorce Records
An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
An index to marriages in St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich from 1683 to 1928, listing the date of marriage and the names of the bride and groom.
Over 55,000 extracted marriages from 207 parishes in Kent. The names of those involved can be searched via an index and are connected to images of the transcription notebooks.
Abstracts of marriages licences granted by the Diocese of Canterbury. These records can contain more details than marriage records, including details such as age, occupation, residence and names of parents or guardians.
Abstracts of marriage licences granted by the Vicar-General in London. These licences could be used to marry in any church in the Province of Canterbury.
Fordwich Death & Burial Records
An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Records of burial for people buried at St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich between 1683 and 1812. Details include the deceased's name, residence and age. Some records may contain the names of relations, cause of death and more.
Over 100,000 extracted burials from the registers of 207 parishes in Kent. The names of those involved can be searched via an index and are connected to images of the transcription notebooks.
Browsable images of summaries of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.
Browsable images of registers the recorded baptisms, marriages and burials in Kent. Names are not indexed.
Fordwich Census & Population Lists
An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.
The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.
Browsable images of Kent electoral rolls poll books, which list those eligible to vote as well as lists of freemen, apprentices, burgess records and militia musters.
The 1901 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
Newspapers Covering Fordwich
A searchable newspaper providing a rich variety of information about the people and places of the Hythe district. Includes obituaries and family announcements.
Local news; notices of births, marriages and deaths; business notices; details on the proceedings of public institutions; adverts and a rich tapestry of other local information from the Whitstable district. Every line of text from the newspaper can be searched and images of the original pages viewed.
A database allowing full text searches of a newspaper covering local news, family announcements, obituaries, court proceedings, business notices and more in the Dover area.
A conservative-oriented newspaper reporting on local news, births, marriages and deaths in the two counties.
A record of births, marriages, deaths, legal, political, organisation and other news from the counties of Kent and Sussex. Original pages of the newspaper can be viewed and located by a full text search.
Fordwich Wills & Probate Records
Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.
An index to probates and administrations held at Canterbury Probate Registry. Contains details on the testator, type of grant, residence, occupation and reference to order the original.
Abstracts and references to 10,000s of wills and probate documents, primarily from East Kent.
Browsable images of inventories. Also includes freeman papers for Queenborough.
Browsable images of administrations, inventories and wills.
Fordwich Immigration & Travel Records
A small list of convicts transported to the colonies.
A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.
A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.
An index to and images of documents recording over 1.65 million passengers who arrived in Victoria, Australia, including passengers whose voyage was paid for by others.
Details on over 600,000 non-British citizens arriving in England. Often includes age and professions. Useful for discerning the origin of immigrants.
Fordwich Military Records
A great deal of information relating to the regiment, including a thorough history, biographical details, photographs, information on honours etc.
A general history of the yeomanry, including extracts from original records
A volume from the most respected work concerning English history. It covers military history, country houses, industry, roads and a transcription of Domesday entries relating to Kent.
A finding aid for records detailing orders relating to ordinary rank men in the Royal West Kent Regiment.
Details of voluntary aid workers in Kent during WWI.
Fordwich Court & Legal Records
Registers recording details of around 9,000 prisoners held in ships stationed in Kent. Records describe a convict's name, age, place of birth, physical description, offence, conviction, sentence, discharge and conduct report.
Over 70,000 browsable pages detailing the administration of poor law unions in Kent. Records contain details on births, marriages & deaths; punishments; admissions and discharges and more.
A name index to 1,000s of people mentioned in legal records relating to crime and administration. The records include settlements, removals and bastardy orders.
Legal records covering a variety of issues from land to bastardy.
An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.
Fordwich Taxation Records
A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.
A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.
Browsable images of registers that record owners and occupiers of land. Useful for tracing succession of freehold and tenancies.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.
Fordwich Land & Property Records
A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.
Browsable images of registers that record owners and occupiers of land. Useful for tracing succession of freehold and tenancies.
Browsable images of Kent electoral rolls poll books, which list those eligible to vote as well as lists of freemen, apprentices, burgess records and militia musters.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.
Fordwich Directories & Gazetteers
A court, street, resident, trade and professional directory of Canterbury and its district.
A directory of settlements in Kent detailing their history, agriculture, topography, economy and leading commercial, professional and private residents.
An exhaustive gazetteer, containing details of settlement's history, governance, churches, postal services, public institutions and more. Also contains lists of residents with their occupation and address.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
Fordwich Cemeteries
Transcriptions of thousands of memorials and headstones found in Kent.
Photographs and descriptions of Kent's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.
Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.
Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.
Profiles of several hundred mausolea found in the British Isles.
Fordwich Obituaries
The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.
A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.
A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.
This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.
A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.
Fordwich Histories & Books
A sprawling work containing a detailed history of the county and each parish.
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
A volume from the most respected work concerning English history. It covers military history, country houses, industry, roads and a transcription of Domesday entries relating to Kent.
Photographs and images of churches in Kent.
Photographs of parish churches in Hampshire, with architectural details and extracts from the 1851 ecclesiastical census.
Fordwich School & Education Records
A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.
A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.
A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.
Fordwich Occupation & Business Records
A calendar to licences granted by Diocese of Canterbury to teachers, physicians and apothecaries.
Articles detailing several smuggling gangs that operated in the county.
An introduction to smuggling in on the east coast of England, with details of the act in various regions.
An introduction to smuggling on the east coast of England, with details of the act in various regions.
Histories of Kent pubs, with photographs and lists of owners or operators.
Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Fordwich
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Hand-draw genealogical charts covering Kent's gentry. Includes descriptions of coats of arms.
A collection of pedigrees, family notes and historical extracts relating to Kent and its families.
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
Fordwich Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Hand-draw genealogical charts covering Kent's gentry. Includes descriptions of coats of arms.
Photographs and descriptions of Kent's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
Fordwich Church Records
The parish registers of Fordwich are a collection of books essentially documenting births, marriages and deaths. Their records can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.
Over 180,000 extracted entries from the registers of 207 parishes in Kent. The names of those involved can be searched via an index and are connected to images of the transcription notebooks.
Extracts relating to the ecclesiastical history of the Archdeaconry of Canterbury.
Photographs of parish churches in Hampshire, with architectural details and extracts from the 1851 ecclesiastical census.
Browsable images of summaries of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.
Biographical Directories Covering Fordwich
A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.
A directory containing lengthy biographies of noted British figures. The work took over two decades to compile. Biographies can be searched by name and are linked to images of the original publication.
Fordwich Maps
Digital images of maps covering the county.
Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.
Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
Maps of parishes in England, Scotland and Wales. They are useful in determining which parish records may be relevant to your research.
Fordwich Reference Works
A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in England.
Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.
A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.
A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.
A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.
Civil & Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
Historical Description
FORDWICH is a parish, in the Eastern division of the county, partly within the city and county of the city of Canterbury, lathe of St. Augustine, petty sessional division of Home, union of Bridge, Canterbury county court district and in the rural deanery, archdeaconry and diocese of Canterbury; it is 2 miles north-east from Canterbury and 57 ½ from London and near the Sturry station of the South Eastern and Chatham railway: it was formerly a place of some importance, for the sea, once flowing higher up the river Stour, Tendered it navigable for ships of considerable size, which in consequence frequented this port: the Stour is still navigable for barges as far as the bridge above the town, which is the port of Canterbury and has been the site of many royal landings: it is a subordinate member of the Cinque Port of Sandwich, and was until lately governed prescriptively by a corporation consisting of a mayor, jurats and commonalty, town clerk and treasurer, the mayor, by virtue of his office, being coroner; and the jurats, who Tanked as justices, held a session of the peace and gaol delivery: the Corporation, under the provisions of the “Municipal Corporations Act, 1883,” ceased to exist in 1887, and the parish is now governed by a body of town trustees, consisting of 5 members. There is an excellent trout fishery. The church of St. Mary is of flint, and exhibits various styles of ecclesiastical architecture, from Norman downwards, and has a plain western tower with shingled spire containing 4 bells: there are three brasses: the church affords 230 sittings. The register dates from the year 1683. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £130, with residence, in, the gift of Earl Cowper K.G. and held since 1893 by the Rev. Richard Hitchcock. The Bigge charities amount to £54 yearly, and were left by Walter Bigge, December 5Th 1631; Stephen Bigge, August 22nd, 1646; and Thomas Bigge, March 13Th 1669; and are derived from land at Romney Marsh and other places; £28 of the sum above named is distributed at the discretion of the rector and overseers for the poor of Fordwich and the Fordwich town trust and £26 goes to the parish of Sturry. Edwardes's charity provides bread for the poor at Christmas. The Town Hall, rebuilt in 1555 and since restored, is a square wooden framed building, with gaol underneath; here is preserved an old ducking stool, in which scolds were formerly bound and ducked in the Stour until they promised to reform: the feswelle (or thieves’ well) is also an object of curiosity; malefactors condemned to death after being bound, were executed by the prosecutor, whose duty it was to hold their heads under water until they were dead. Near the Town Hall are the remains of a fortified place of the 14th century; among the archives is the “custumal,” a leather-bound book of the 15th century, containing 73 pages of MS. divided into 31 clauses; the first clause contains a copy of a charter by Henry II. granting to the men of Fordwich freedom from toll and other liberties: the 30th clause defines what felony may be dealt with in the lower court and what must be sent to Shepway; this clause shows that Fordwich might lawfully inflict capital punishment, and that the sentence was, as in other Cinque Ports, carried out by drowning. Fordwych House, the property of Mrs. Macdonald was once the temporary retreat of French refugees at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 22 Oct. 1685; it is the residence of Crawford Barlow esq. Earl Cowper K.G., P.C. who is lord of the manor, Henry Herbert Denne esq. and Isaac Bugg Coaks esq. are the principal landowners. The soil is light loam; subsoil, gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, hops and fruit. The area is 427 acres; assessable value, £1,067; the population in 1901 was 265.
A School Board of 5 members was formed 21 Dec. 1876, for the extra municipal portion of the parish, but there is no school; A. Fielding, Canterbury, clerk; John S. Ingleton, attendance officer.
The children of this place attend the school at Sturry.
Most Common Surnames in Fordwich
| Rank | Surname | Incidence | Frequency | Percent of Parent | Rank in Downhamford Hundred |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith | 12 | 1:19 | 0.08% | 1 |
| 1 | Kennett | 12 | 1:19 | 1.64% | 196 |
| 3 | Eldridge | 10 | 1:23 | 2.02% | 308 |
| 4 | Wood | 9 | 1:25 | 0.18% | 5 |
| 5 | Wyatt | 8 | 1:29 | 2.96% | 639 |
| 5 | Bignell | 8 | 1:29 | 10.53% | 2,011 |
| 5 | Homersham | 8 | 1:29 | 14.55% | 2,602 |
| 8 | Pool | 7 | 1:33 | 5.88% | 1,363 |
| 8 | Pilcher | 7 | 1:33 | 0.75% | 138 |
| 8 | Twyman | 7 | 1:33 | 2.50% | 617 |
| 8 | Moys | 7 | 1:33 | 11.29% | 2,383 |
| 12 | Morris | 6 | 1:38 | 0.39% | 69 |
| 12 | Castle | 6 | 1:38 | 0.53% | 113 |
| 12 | Brencley | 6 | 1:38 | 100.00% | 13,712 |
| 15 | Edwards | 5 | 1:46 | 0.21% | 25 |
| 15 | Hann | 5 | 1:46 | 8.93% | 2,567 |
| 15 | Friar | 5 | 1:46 | 6.58% | 2,011 |
| 15 | Higgens | 5 | 1:46 | 11.11% | 3,032 |
| 19 | Giles | 4 | 1:57 | 0.48% | 159 |
| 19 | Clements | 4 | 1:57 | 0.64% | 245 |
| 19 | Bowman | 4 | 1:57 | 1.67% | 745 |
| 19 | Theobald | 4 | 1:57 | 1.83% | 822 |
| 19 | Gammon | 4 | 1:57 | 1.19% | 516 |
| 19 | Stacy | 4 | 1:57 | 36.36% | 8,577 |
| 25 | Marshall | 3 | 1:76 | 0.22% | 83 |
| 25 | May | 3 | 1:76 | 0.17% | 56 |
| 25 | Mountford | 3 | 1:76 | 8.33% | 3,606 |
| 25 | Fairweather | 3 | 1:76 | 8.57% | 3,697 |
| 25 | Spratt | 3 | 1:76 | 1.23% | 727 |
| 25 | Dray | 3 | 1:76 | 0.83% | 472 |
| 31 | Brown | 2 | 1:114 | 0.03% | 2 |
| 31 | Freeman | 2 | 1:114 | 0.28% | 203 |
| 31 | French | 2 | 1:114 | 0.20% | 131 |
| 31 | Jarvis | 2 | 1:114 | 0.18% | 115 |
| 31 | Bentley | 2 | 1:114 | 0.71% | 609 |
| 31 | Warner | 2 | 1:114 | 0.35% | 268 |
| 31 | Best | 2 | 1:114 | 0.37% | 280 |
| 31 | Mead | 2 | 1:114 | 0.78% | 683 |
| 31 | Neil | 2 | 1:114 | 4.44% | 3,032 |
| 31 | Gore | 2 | 1:114 | 0.72% | 622 |
| 31 | Gaunt | 2 | 1:114 | 4.35% | 2,972 |
| 31 | Manners | 2 | 1:114 | 5.41% | 3,532 |
| 31 | Port | 2 | 1:114 | 0.90% | 808 |
| 31 | Farrier | 2 | 1:114 | 1.04% | 907 |
| 31 | Maple | 2 | 1:114 | 1.48% | 1,226 |
| 46 | Taylor | 1 | 1:228 | 0.02% | 3 |
| 46 | Cox | 1 | 1:228 | 0.06% | 53 |
| 46 | Knight | 1 | 1:228 | 0.04% | 27 |
| 46 | Willis | 1 | 1:228 | 0.12% | 167 |
| 46 | Norris | 1 | 1:228 | 0.13% | 177 |
| 46 | Pollard | 1 | 1:228 | 0.30% | 509 |
| 46 | Cotton | 1 | 1:228 | 0.89% | 1,430 |
| 46 | Keen | 1 | 1:228 | 0.34% | 588 |
| 46 | Cullen | 1 | 1:228 | 0.23% | 370 |
| 46 | Penny | 1 | 1:228 | 0.42% | 749 |
| 46 | Crouch | 1 | 1:228 | 0.16% | 232 |
| 46 | Spicer | 1 | 1:228 | 0.18% | 278 |
| 46 | William | 1 | 1:228 | 1.35% | 2,053 |
| 46 | Dewhirst | 1 | 1:228 | 50.00% | 24,019 |
| 46 | Epps | 1 | 1:228 | 0.19% | 282 |
| 46 | Marden | 1 | 1:228 | 1.75% | 2,530 |
| 46 | Ingleton | 1 | 1:228 | 1.20% | 1,871 |
| 46 | Fairbrass | 1 | 1:228 | 0.55% | 948 |
| 46 | Ansley | 1 | 1:228 | 1.33% | 2,030 |
| 46 | Petley | 1 | 1:228 | 0.75% | 1,240 |
| 46 | Born | 1 | 1:228 | 100.00% | 28,817 |
| 46 | Downward | 1 | 1:228 | 100.00% | 28,817 |
| 46 | Cummin | 1 | 1:228 | 4.00% | 4,779 |