18 moments

1. Birth in Cripplegate

   1660-01-01 · Fore Street, Cripplegate, London, England

   

   Daniel Foe, later Daniel Defoe, was probably born on Fore Street in the parish of St Giles, Cripplegate. The birth year and exact birthplace are uncertain; sources cited by the article range from 1659 to 1662, with 1660 considered most likely.

2. Marriage to Mary Tuffley

   1684-01-01 · St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England

   Defoe married Mary Tuffley at St Botolph's Aldgate, beginning a marriage that lasted forty-seven years.

3. Monmouth Rebellion involvement

   1685-01-01 · Lyme Regis, Dorset, England

   Defoe appeared on the Duke of Monmouth's side after the landing at Lyme Regis during the unsuccessful rebellion against James II. The duration and precise nature of Defoe's participation are disputed; this card records only the supported association with Monmouth's force at Lyme Regis.

4. William's army at Henley

   1688-01-01 · Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England

   Defoe joined William of Orange's army at Henley during William's advance on London in the Glorious Revolution.

5. Volunteer escort in the City

   1689-10-29 · City of London, England

   As a trooper in a volunteer horse regiment, Defoe escorted William and Mary to a civic banquet after their accession. The contemporary source identifies the City of London but not the banquet venue; coordinates represent the historic civic centre.

6. Brickworks residence at Chadwell

   1696-01-01 · Chadwell St Mary, Essex, England

   Defoe operated a tile and brick factory at Tilbury and lived in nearby Chadwell St Mary parish. Coordinates represent Chadwell St Mary rather than the now-lost exact house site.

7. With the Kentish petitioners

   1701-06-24 · Mercers' Hall, City of London, England

   After the Kentish petitioners were released, Defoe stood beside them at their entertainment in Mercers' Hall. Coordinates identify the present Mercers' Hall site, near the historic hall location.

8. Imprisonment in Newgate

   1703-01-01 · Newgate Prison, London, England

   Following his trial and pillory sentence, Defoe was imprisoned in Newgate, where he continued writing and began A Review of the Affairs of France. The prison was demolished; coordinates represent its historic Old Bailey site.

9. Seditious-libel trial

   1703-07-01 · Old Bailey, London, England

   Defoe faced trial at the Old Bailey for seditious libel arising from The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters. The source specifies the July sessions but does not give the trial day.

10. Pilloried at the Royal Exchange

    1703-07-29 · Royal Exchange, Cornhill, London, England

    

    On the first of three consecutive days in the pillory, Defoe was displayed before the Royal Exchange in Cornhill. The present Royal Exchange occupies the historic site.

11. Pilloried at Cheapside Conduit

    1703-07-30 · Cheapside, London, England

    

    Defoe underwent the second day of his pillory sentence near the Conduit in Cheapside. The Cheapside conduit no longer survives; coordinates are a representative point on Cheapside.

12. Pilloried at Temple Bar

    1703-07-31 · Temple Bar, London, England

    

    Defoe underwent the final day of his public pillory punishment at Temple Bar. Coordinates mark the historic Temple Bar location near Fleet Street.

13. Secret mission to Edinburgh

    1706-01-01 · Edinburgh, Scotland

    

    The ministry sent Defoe to Edinburgh as a secret agent during the campaign for Anglo-Scottish union. The source gives August or September, so the date is recorded at year precision.

14. Government correspondence from Edinburgh

    1708-05-01 · Edinburgh, Scotland

    

    Defoe was again in Edinburgh on government business; surviving letters from there document his dependence on government support during this mission. This card records the May 1708 presence; the source also independently places him in Edinburgh in August.

15. Later Scottish mission

    1712-01-01 · Scotland

    

    Defoe returned to Scotland late in 1712 and wrote anti-Jacobite pamphlets there. The source does not identify a Scottish locality; coordinates are a representative point for Scotland.

16. House at Stoke Newington

    1724-01-01 · Church Street, Stoke Newington, London, England

    By 1724 Defoe had built a substantial house at Stoke Newington, where he pursued studies and gardening while living with his daughters. The house no longer survives; coordinates represent Church Street in Stoke Newington.

17. Burial at Bunhill Fields

    1731-01-01 · Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, London, England

    

    Defoe was interred in Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground north of the City of London. The source does not state the burial day; the year follows his documented death in 1731.

18. Death in Ropemakers Alley

    1731-04-24 · Ropemakers Alley, Moorfields, London, England

    Defoe died in Ropemakers Alley near Cripplegate, probably while avoiding creditors. The alley has disappeared; coordinates are an approximate historic Moorfields location.