Born at the farm of Cwrt, Llanfwrog, Denbighshire, he was the son of Peter Foulkes and his wife Frances.
At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to Isaac Clarke, a printer in Ruthin.
[1][2] In May 1890 Foulkes began to issue Y Cymro (The Welshman), a weekly newspaper in Welsh intended primarily for Liverpool Welsh readers, but soon read widely in Wales as well; he was both editor and publisher, and made the journal a literary forum.
[1] Foulkes died at Rhewl, near Ruthin, on 2 November 1904, and was buried in Llanbedr churchyard.
[1] Foulkes, bardic name Llyfrbryf (Bookworm), was an author, critic, editor and publisher of Welsh-language literature.