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Christ Church Churchyard

Memorials	:	2
Location	:	Dunkirk, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate	:	51.2916540, 0.9741890
Description	:	Dunkirk is a relatively new village, with only a few buildings that pre-date the 19th century. It was a very impoverished area, and was the scene of the last armed uprising in Britain, when in 1838 a group of about 40 farm workers who had suffered from the introduction of the 'New' Poor Laws, so that they could no longer get monetary help in times of little employment, but instead had to go into the workhouse, followed a charismatic character calling himself 'Sir William Courtenay', (actually one John Thom, now buried in St Michael's churchyard in nearby Hernhill) who had... Read More	Dunkirk is a relatively new village, with only a few buildings that pre-date the 19th century. It was a very impoverished area, and was the scene of the last armed uprising in Britain, when in 1838 a group of about 40 farm workers who had suffered from the introduction of the 'New' Poor Laws, so that they could no longer get monetary help in times of little employment, but instead had to go into the workhouse, followed a charismatic character calling himself 'Sir William Courtenay', (actually one John Thom, now buried in St Michael's churchyard in nearby Hernhill) who had despaired of getting social reform by peaceful means. 150 Infantrymen of the 45th Regiment of Foot were called out, and a one-sided, bloody struggle followed, the so-called Battle of Bossenden Wood. Courtenay shot Lieutenant Bennett dead, and Courtenay and seven others on his side were killed. Belatedly realising the deprivation that had lead to the uprising, a school and the Church were built at Dunkirk by Government order. Christ Church was designed by John Whichcord in the Gothic style, but with a very un-Gothic and un-Kentish slate roof. It is said that some of the masonry came from the old walls of the City of Canterbury, which were partially dismantled at the time. The church was declared redundant in 1988, and is now a private home. The southern part of the churchyard has been enclosed and made into a garden; the memorials have been removed, but in 2009 a memorial near the west door in the part of the churchyard still accessible to the public recorded the names of those whose graves had been obscured. Until the construction of the Boughton by-pass in the late 1960s, the busy A2 road from London to Canterbury and Dover ran directly in front of the churchyard. A lady who was married at Christ Church in the early 60s told me that police had to hold up the traffic so that she, her new husband and the wedding guests could cross to the reception. (Text by Sheilia W.)

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Christ Church Churchyard?
Christ Church Churchyard is located at Canterbury Road Dunkirk, Swale Borough ,Kent ,England.
Christ Church Churchyard cemetery's updated grave count on graveviews.com?
2 memorials
Where are the coordinates of the Christ Church Churchyard?
Latitude: 51.2916540
Longitude: 0.9741890

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Nearby Cemetories:

1. Wesleyan Chapel Burial Ground
Boughton-under-Blean, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.2968700, 0.9484080

2. St Michael Churchyard
Hernhill, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.3077430, 0.9612050

3. Saint Peter and Saint Paul Churchyard
Boughton-under-Blean, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.2892810, 0.9355410

4. St Bartholomew Churchyard
Goodnestone, Dover District, England
Coordinate: 51.3166220, 0.9322200

5. Chartham Cemetery
Chartham, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2600890, 1.0068260

6. St Mary the Virgin Churchyard
Selling, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.2739880, 0.9208920

7. All Saints Churchyard
Graveney, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.3261450, 0.9447880

8. St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard
Chartham, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2558720, 1.0180810

9. Faversham Cemetery
Faversham, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.3110470, 0.9053170

10. St. Mary Churchyard
Chilham, Ashford Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.2446240, 0.9626660

11. St Nicholas Hospital Church
Harbledown, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2828200, 1.0536580

12. St Cosmus and St Damian Churchyard
Blean, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.3052720, 1.0530480

13. St Michael and All Angels Church
Harbledown, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2824590, 1.0556800

14. St. Catherine's Churchyard
Faversham, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.3103390, 0.8926930

15. St Nicholas Churchyard
Thanington-Without, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2703550, 1.0544190

16. St. Alphege's Churchyard
Seasalter, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.3432041, 1.0041740

17. Faversham Abbey (Defunct)
Faversham, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.3165680, 0.8958480

18. St Mary of Charity Churchyard
Faversham, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.3171730, 0.8948480

19. Canterbury City Cemetery
Canterbury, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2843285, 1.0637640

20. St Augustine Hospital Burial Ground
Chartham, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2480170, 1.0342770

21. St James Churchyard
Sheldwich, Swale Borough, England
Coordinate: 51.2753830, 0.8821940

22. Canterbury Jewish Cemetery
Canterbury, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2846135, 1.0706660

23. St. Dunstan Churchyard
Canterbury, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2836820, 1.0707800

24. Wincheap Non-Conformist Burial Ground
Canterbury, City of Canterbury, England
Coordinate: 51.2718430, 1.0672940

Christ Church Churchyard

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