Saintly Talk
January 2023
To commence MMF’s talk programme for the year we welcomed back Dr James Lloyd to consider the life and legend of Saint Eanswith of Folkestone. Dr Lloyd, Archivist at the Royal College of Arms, had been with us in February 2022 when he considered “The Forgotten Symbols of Kent”.
It was a fascinating presentation of, to many, a little known locally-based Saint. Eanswith, daughter of Eadbald (in turn son of Aethelberht, the King of Kent,) lived sometime in the 7th Century, renounced worldly glory from her infancy to serve God. She deliberately chose “..a place far from the common crowd, Folkestone by name, where her father Eadbald also built a church in honour of the blessed apostle Peter”. Regrettably Saint Eanswith’s church having been “..eaten away little by little by the sea..” eventually fell into the sea completely, and her relics were moved to the nearby St Peter’s Church.
Dr Lloyd set out the limited facts of Saint Eanswith’s life, and then delved into the many legends about her – some he had sympathy for, some (principally supposed miracles) for which he gave rational explanations, and others he ‘dismissed’.
Over 40 Friends and guests enjoyed this engaging presentation.
