Robert Were Fox the Elder
Encyclopedia
Robert Were Fox was a Quaker businessman who lived in Falmouth
.
, Cornwall
, in the United Kingdom
, and married Elizabeth Tregelles (1768–1849) in 1788. The couple had six sons, including Charles Fox
of Trebah
, Robert Were Fox FRS
of Penjerrick Garden
and Alfred Fox
of Glendurgan. Their daughter, Mariana Fox (1807–1863), married Francis Tuckett of Frenchay
and became the mother of the mountaineer
Francis Fox Tuckett
. . Their daughter, Charlotte born in 1799, married Samuel Fox of Tottenham .
The family
were Quakers
, descended from George Fox of Fowey
and his wife, Anna Debell. Robert Were Fox was the son of their son, George Croker Fox, and his wife, Mary Were. It was George Croker Fox who founded a Falmouth ship-brokering business, which survived into the 21st century.
During the time Robert Were Fox ran the family's ship-brokering business, family business interests expanded into copper-mining, tin-smelting and foundry-work in partnership with the Williams family. In 1794 R. W. Fox was appointed Consul
(Diplomatic Representative) by the United States of America for the port of Falmouth.
In 1811, Fox was one of four delegates sent to negotiate with the Post Office headquarters in Lombard Street for the return of the Packet Service
station to Falmouth from Plymouth
.
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
.
Life and work
Fox was born in FoweyFowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and married Elizabeth Tregelles (1768–1849) in 1788. The couple had six sons, including Charles Fox
Charles Fox (scientist)
Charles Fox , a Quaker scientist, developed Trebah Garden, near Mawnan Smith in Cornwall. He was a member of the influential Fox family of Falmouth....
of Trebah
Trebah
Trebah is a sub-tropical garden situated in Cornwall near Glendurgan Garden and above the Helford River .-History of Trebah:In 1831 Trebah was acquired by the Fox family who built Glendurgan Garden. Trebah was first laid out as a pleasure garden by Charles Fox, a Quaker polymath of enormous...
, Robert Were Fox FRS
Robert Were Fox the Younger
Robert Were Fox FRS was a British geologist, natural philosopher and inventor. He is known mainly for his work on the temperature of the earth and his construction of a compass to measure magnetic dip at sea....
of Penjerrick Garden
Penjerrick Garden
Penjerrick Garden, often referred to as "Cornwall's true jungle garden", lies between Budock Water and Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth, United Kingdom....
and Alfred Fox
Alfred Fox
Alfred Fox, of Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, was owner and developer of Glendurgan Garden, now a National Trust property. He was a member of the Quaker Fox family of Falmouth.-Business interests:...
of Glendurgan. Their daughter, Mariana Fox (1807–1863), married Francis Tuckett of Frenchay
Frenchay
Frenchay is a suburb of Bristol, England, to the north east of the city, but located mainly in South Gloucestershire and the Civil Parish of Winterbourne....
and became the mother of the mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
Francis Fox Tuckett
Francis Fox Tuckett
Francis Fox Tuckett FRGS was an English mountaineer. He was vice-president of the Alpine Club from 1866 to 1868, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.-Life and family:...
. . Their daughter, Charlotte born in 1799, married Samuel Fox of Tottenham .
The family
Fox family of Falmouth
The Fox family of Falmouth, Cornwall, UK were very influential in the development of the town of Falmouth in the 19th century and of the Cornish Industrial Revolution...
were Quakers
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, descended from George Fox of Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
and his wife, Anna Debell. Robert Were Fox was the son of their son, George Croker Fox, and his wife, Mary Were. It was George Croker Fox who founded a Falmouth ship-brokering business, which survived into the 21st century.
During the time Robert Were Fox ran the family's ship-brokering business, family business interests expanded into copper-mining, tin-smelting and foundry-work in partnership with the Williams family. In 1794 R. W. Fox was appointed Consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
(Diplomatic Representative) by the United States of America for the port of Falmouth.
In 1811, Fox was one of four delegates sent to negotiate with the Post Office headquarters in Lombard Street for the return of the Packet Service
Post Office Packet Service
The Post Office Packet Service dates to Tudor times and ran until 1823, when the Admiralty assumed control of the service. Originally, the Post Office used packet ships to carry mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. The vessels generally also carried bullion, private...
station to Falmouth from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
.
Further reading
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article by Philip PaytonPhilip PaytonPhilip John Payton is a British historian and Professor of Cornish and Australian Studies at the University of Exeter and Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies based at Tremough, just outside Penryn, Cornwall.-Birth and education:...
Fox, Robert Were (1754–1818) - ODNB article by Denise Crook, Fox, Robert Were (1789–1877) accessed 3 Aug 2006
- ODNB article by G. C. Boase, Fox, Charles (1797–1878), revised by Justin Brooke, accessed 6 Aug 2006] and U.S. edition:
- Barclay Fox was R. W. Fox the Elder's grandson. Pages cited above are from the Introductory essay by R. L. Brett