Synopsis

John Martin has discovered that Daniel Defoe was born in 1644, fifteen years sooner than anyone had supposed, and that he lied about his age and family background for fear of what would happen to him if his past were known.
Daniel Defoe was born Daniel Foe on the family farm in Etton, Northamptonshire. His father died when he was three years old and his mother Ellene King, who was a Quaker, put him into parish care in Colchester, Essex where he was known as Daniel King.
Like Dicken’s literary creation, Oliver Twist, he was rescued from the parish by a benefactor, in this instance a member or members of the Wildbore family, who gave him an education.
At eighteen years of age Daniel Foe went on the Grand Tour with William Penn the Quaker and Robert Spencer the future Earl of Sunderland. Penn and Foe killed a man in a duel in Paris. Penn returned to England but Daniel Foe went on the run to a daring-do life of adventure as a soldier, sailor, merchant and suspected pirate. In 1681/2 Daniel Foe returned to London and disguised his identity: first by using the name Foe, and lying about his age, and then changing it to Defoe.
In 1680 Daniel King returned to England where he was known as Daniel Foe and later Daniel Defoe. William Penn became a life-long benefactor and friend to Daniel Defoe and enabled him to take up land in New England where Defoe settled his sister. However, a condition of Penn’s support was that their relationship be kept secret.

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