Foulkes was born in Llanyblodwel, Shropshire, England, a small village on the Welsh border. He attended Shrewsbury School before going on to St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1884. Foulkes afterward trained as a solicitor, serving his articles of clerkship in Wrexham, Wales. He came to Western Australia in 1890, and set up a law practice in Bunbury.John Charles Griffiths Foulkes – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 May 2016. In 1894, he stood for the Legislative Council's South-West Province, and was elected to a two-year term. In December 1895, Foulkes left on a health trip to Europe, intending to return in time to contest his seat at the 1896 Legislative Council elections."Topics of the Week.", Bunbury Herald, 21 December 1895. However, on the return voyage, his wife was taken ill with malaria, forcing them to remain in Italy while she recovered (and him to miss the election and thus lose his seat)."Local and General.", Bunbury Herald, 21 July 1896.
