sumed that Daniel was born in the fall of 1660. "Probably we shall never know the exact date of his birth" (Moore, 1). Daniel was the first to be born in London. James, Daniel's father, started an apprenticeship under John Levitt in 1644. James Foe, upon completing his apprenticeship became a tallow chandler in 1654. "The work of tallow chandlers required the skill of craftsmen as well as strength and stamina" (Backscheider, 27).
             Daniel grew up in some of the toughest times for England. Charles II was invited to assume the English throne. The "Restoration" raised new hopes of change to come. The first effect on Daniel's childhood was the great plague, which killed more than 69,000 in 1665. During the plague, all of the shops were closed and no one was out on the streets. The plague was due mainly to the poor sanitation. There were dead bodies lying around out on the streets. John Reresby reported that it was, "usual for people to drop down in the streets" (7). Another influence on Daniel was the fire in London. The Great Fire hit on September 2, 1666. "...nearly 229 houses in Cornhill burnt to the ground, and the official survey report gave 13,200 as the number of houses destroyed ...ninety percent of the city's living accommodations burned" (Backscheider, 4).The fire was started in a bakehouse (or bakery) and was spread quickly by the breeze (Freeman, 43). During the four-day fire, eighty-nine churches burned. Property loss totaling ten million pounds. It is said about Defoe that, "His family probably took what they could to his uncle's in St. Botolphs" (Backschieder, 6). The aftermath of the fire was horrendous. Ash and fallen houses blocked entire streets. Blocks of houses were completely burned to the ground.
             Their post office, government buildings, exchange houses, courthouses, and jails all lost to the fire. Even if you had money, there wa...