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Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) was born in
Stoke Newington, the son of a butcher. A prolific writer
he published more than 250 works. In 1704 he set up
a newspaper, ‘The Review’, which was published until
1713. He turned to writing fiction after 1714, and in
1719-20, at the age of nearly 60, published his best
known book, ‘Robinson Crusoe’. Among his other works
was ‘Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain’,
published in three volumes between 1724 and 1727. He
visited Dover in his travels, and his account suggests
that he was not particularly impressed by the town. |
“Neither Dover nor it’s castle
has anything of note to be said of them, but what is
in common with their neighbours; the castle is old,
useless, decay’d, and serves for little; but to give
the title and honour of government to men of quality,
with a salary, and sometimes to those that want one.
The town is one of the Cinque
Ports, sends members to Parliament, who are call’d
barons, and has it self an ill repair’d, dangerous,
and good for little harbour
and pier, very chargeable and little worth: The packets
for France go off here, also those for Nieuport, with
the mails for Flanders, and all those ships which carry
freights from New-York to Holland, and from Virginia
to Holland, come generally hither, and unlade their
goods, enter them with, and show them to the custom-house
officers, pay the duties, and then enter them again
by certificate, reload them, and draw back the duty
by debenture, and so they go away for Holland.”
Dover, October 1724.
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