

James Fisher's boarding school in Pixham Lane in Dorking, Surrey. His mother, Alice, had died by the time he was about ten. In 1667, when he was probably about seven, a Dutch fleet sailed up the Medway via the River Thames and attacked the town of Chatham in the raid on the Medway. In Defoe's early childhood, he experienced some of the most unusual occurrences in English history: in 1665, seventy thousand were killed by the Great Plague of London, and the next year, the Great Fire of London left only Defoe's and two other houses standing in his neighbourhood. His father, James Foe, was a prosperous tallow chandler of probable Flemish descent, and a member of the Worshipful Company of Butchers. His birthdate and birthplace are uncertain, and sources offer dates from 1659 to 1662, with the summer or early autumn of 1660 considered the most likely. "De" is also a common prefix in Flemish surnames.

Defoe later added the aristocratic-sounding "De" to his name, and on occasion made the false claim of descent from a family named De Beau Faux. Early life ĭaniel Foe (his original name) was probably born in Fore Street in the parish of St Giles Cripplegate, London. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted him.ĭefoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works -books, pamphlets, and journals-on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural. Defoe wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities, and spent a period in prison. He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. Daniel Defoe ( / d ɪ ˈ f oʊ/ born Daniel Foe c.
