Person    | Male  Born 29/1/1737  Died 8/6/1809

Thomas Paine

Revolutionary. Born Thetford, Norfolk. Emigrated to the British American colonies and took part in the American Revolution. Travelled to France in 1781 and became sufficiently involved in politics and government there to be imprisoned for a few months. Not approving of Napoleon he returned to America at Thomas Jefferson's invitation but he was not successful and died there in penury, at 59 Grove Street in Greenwich Village, New York where he was being nursed in the home of the widow of an old friend. In 1819 an admirer had his remains dug up and brought back to England, but they were then lost.

'Rights of Man', 1791, was written at the Angel Inn, Islington. His other writings include: 'Common Sense' 1776, 'The Age of Reason' 1794, 'Agrarian Justice' 1795.

We learn, at The Great Wen, that Paine was also a bridge-builder, albeit the only one he built went nowhere on a bowling green near Lisson Grove.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Thomas Paine

Commemorated ati

Thomas Paine obelisk

Erected on the 200th anniversary of the publication of Paine's "Rights of Man...

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Thomas Paine

Creations i

The Great Rising / Peasants' Revolt

Matthew Bell realised that The Great Rising lacked a proper memorial and that...

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Other Subjects

Sir Thomas Bloodworth

Sir Thomas Bloodworth

As Lord Mayor of London 1665-6 he was sorely tested and found wanting.  As the fire advanced he alone had the authority to create fire-breaks by demolishing buildings but he refused to make such an...

Person, Lord Mayor, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

1 memorial
Hackney Town Hall

Hackney Town Hall

The site of an early town hall ('vestry office' in its early days), is still occupied by the building that was used. This is the building in front of St Augustine's - behind the buses in our photo ...

Group, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
George Berridge

George Berridge

Commoner on the Bridge House Estates Committee, 1894.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Lionel Vincent Straker, C.C.

Lionel Vincent Straker, C.C.

Chairman of Girdlers Hall Committee, 1960.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
William Strahan

William Strahan

The Aldersgate printer of John Wesley's Journal. Born Edinburgh.  Also printed the works of Samuel Johnson, David Hume, Adam Smith and Edward Gibbon.

Person, Commerce, Journalism / Publishing, Politics & Administration, Religion, Scotland

1 memorial