Robert Foley (ironmonger)

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Robert Foley (baptised 19 September 1624; buried 1 December 1676) of Stourbridge was a son of Richard Foley, the most important ironmaster of his time in the west Midlands, by his second marriage (to Alice Brindley).

Stourbridge town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England

Stourbridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands county of England. Historically part of Worcestershire and situated on the River Stour, Stourbridge developed during the industrial revolution into a centre of glass making. As of 2018 the town includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote, and Wordsley.

Richard Foley (1580–1657) was a prominent English ironmaster. He is best known from the folktale of "Fiddler Foley", which is either not correct or does not apply to him.

Ironmaster manager/owner of a forge or blast furnace

An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain.

In contrast with other members of the family who became ironmasters, Robert Foley became an ironmonger, that is, a person who organises the manufacture of finished ironware and sells it. In doing so he may have been taking over that aspect of his father's business, just as his older brother Thomas Foley had taken over their father's ironworks. Shortly after the English Restoration, Foley obtained a contract from the Navy Board to supply ironware to several dockyards. [1]

Restoration (England) 1660 restoration of the English monarchy

The Restoration of the English monarchy took place in the Stuart period. It began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under King Charles II. This followed the Interregnum, also called the Protectorate, that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Navy Board organisation with responsibility for day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832

The Navy Board and formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes was the commission with responsibility for day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the Navy Office.

His house at Stourbridge and estate at Netherton in Dudley were given him by his father. He probably mined coal in his land at Yorks Park, near Netherton around 1660, but left others to extend mines into neighbouring land. However he bought the manor of Kenswick in Knightwick himself in 1669. [2]

Netherton, West Midlands human settlement in United Kingdom

Netherton is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, 1.5 miles (2 km) south of Dudley town centre in the West Midlands of England, but historically in Worcestershire. In the Black Country, Netherton is bordered by nature reserves to the east and west, and an industrial area and the Dudley Southern By-Pass to the north.

Dudley town in West Midlands, England

Dudley is a town in the county of West Midlands, England, 6 miles (9.7 km) south-east of Wolverhampton and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) north-west of Birmingham. The town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and in 2011 had a population of 79,379. The Metropolitan Borough, which includes the towns of Stourbridge and Halesowen, had a population of 312,900. Dudley is sometimes called the capital of the Black Country.

Kenswick, Worcestershire village in United Kingdom

Kenswick is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.

He was High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1671. He married first Anne Blurton in 1645 and was succeeded by his son, another Robert Foley. [3] He married second Elizabeth Duppa.

This is a list of sheriffs and since 1998 high sheriffs of Worcestershire.

Robert Foley (c.1651–1702) of Stourbridge was the son of Robert Foley.

Foley died on a business trip. He traveled from his home in Stourbridge to Bristol and then to London, where he died at his inn. [4]

Bristol Place in England

Bristol is a city and county in South West England with a population of 459,300. The wider district has the 10th-largest population in England. The urban area population of 724,000 is the 8th-largest in the UK. The city borders North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, with the cities of Bath and Gloucester to the south-east and north-east, respectively. South Wales lies across the Severn estuary.

London Capital of the United Kingdom

London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. Londinium was founded by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core − an area of just 1.12 square miles (2.9 km2) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that follow closely its medieval limits. The City of Westminster is also an Inner London borough holding city status. Greater London is governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

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References

  1. M. B. Rowlands, Masters and Men in the West Midlands metalware trades before the industrial revolution (Manchester University Press, 1975), 87-92.
  2. 'Parishes: Knightwick', Victoria County History, Worcestershire: volume 3 (1913), pp. 437-442. "Robert Foley". Date accessed: 15 March 2008.
  3. Burkes Peerage.
  4. Rowlands