The British Fogans

Robert Foggin and his descendants

Robert Foggin

Robert Foggin is the earliest known ancestor of our lineage of Foggin and Fogan descendants. The origins of the surname are murky and might be of Dutch or French origin.

Robert grew up in the area of Newcastle upon Tyne, along the English northeast coast, almost bordering Scotland. Newcastle upon Tyne was originally a Roman fort and bridge on the River Tyne. The river crossing settlement was originally called Pons Aelius ("Hadrian's Bridge"), named after Roman Emperor Hadrian, who may have visited the area on his tour of Britain. The city still has some visible remnants of Hadrian's Wall.

Newcastle prospered in the 16th to the 19th centuries on the mining and export of underground mined coal. The city having a monopoly in the coal trade, due to a royal act of 1530, as a result, Newcastle prospered and developed into a major town. It also spawned the phrase, taking coals to Newcastle, indicating a pointless pursuit. In fact, in the 18th century, an American businessman decided to break the monopoly by sailing a shipment of coal, "bringing coals to Newcastle", defying the local merchants who set out to ruin him. By coincidence or by good luck, the ship arrived in port during a coal mine strike, allowing the crafty entrepreneur to turn a considerable profit.

Newcastle became the country's fourth-largest print centre after London. It also became a glass producer, specializing in brilliant flint glass. By the 19th century, it became a city in 1882 and grew in the business of shipbuilding and heavy engineering. Newcastle led the country in the Industrial Revolution.

The city suffered a major fire in 1854, with the loss of a substantial amount of property in the north east of the town, and an explosion which killed dozens of citizens.

Newcastle Directory of 1791

Robert Foggin appears in two documents in Newcastle. He is mentioned as the father on the birth register for his son, William, on the 31st of July, 1768. See Williams' biography below.

Robert then is mentioned in a town of Newcastle person directory of 1791. He is listed as a Victualler, a supplier of victuals or supplies, likely to the nearby seaport. Two children are also listed: William and John are listed as Joiners and Cabinet-makers and John is also listed as a Staymaker, an obsolete term for a maker of stays and corsets. The two John's and the William might be either sons or grandsons, as Robert would then be of 51 years.