Thomas Paine
Person Male Born 29/1/1737 Died 8/6/1809
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.
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