Charles Fox

Who was Charles Fox?

Charles Fox, a Quaker scientist, developed Trebah Garden, near Mawnan Smith in Cornwall. He was a member of the influential Fox family of Falmouth.

He was the son of Robert Were Fox the Elder and Elizabeth Tregelles, his wife. He was born on 22 December 1797. He was the younger brother of Robert Were Fox F.R.S..

Fox was a partner in the family shipping brokerage, at Falmouth and General Manager of the Perran Iron Foundry at Perranarworthal from 1825, handing over the post to his nephew Barclay Fox around 1842 He was also active in various other family business enterprises, including copper mining and smelting in Cornwall and South Wales.

The Fox family played a large part in the establishment of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society at Falmouth. Charles Fox was its President in 1871–72. In 1841, in connection with the society, he founded the Lander prizes for maps and essays on geographical districts.

With Robert Hunt, Charles Fox helped to found in 1859 the Miners' Association of Cornwall and Devon. He was president of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall in 1863–67. He contributed a number of articles on diverse topics to learned and scientific journals