Upcoming events...
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No Respecter of Persons - the impact of 17C Quaker Persecution History on the 18th century radicalism of Tom Paine
28 February 2012 16:00
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 6-8pm Quaker Centre, Friends House, 173 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ
After introducing the mysterious phenomenon that was the world-wide political importance of the nobody, Tom Paine – Sybil Oldfield will:
a) summarise the brutality of the persecution of the Quakers;
b) link up Paine’s own Quaker connections with his Quaker father in Thetford;
c) indicate what his radicalism owed to the influence of Quakerism.
Was Moncure Conway right to say “Had there been no Quakerism, there would have been no Tom Paine”?
Sybil Oldfield is Research Reader in English at the University of Sussex
6pm in the Quaker Centre for a 6.30pm start. The Library will open that day until 6pm. Register for a free place at: www.quaker.org.uk/quakerhistory
For all enquiries please contact the Quaker Centre quakercentre@quaker.org.uk / 020 7663 1030/31
Library of the Religious Society of Friends
Friends House
173 Euston Road
London NW1 2BJ
tel: 020 7663 1135 -
The 2012 Eric Paine Memorial Lecture at Conway Hall 10th of March 2pm Russell Room by Sybil Oldfield
10 March 2012 14:00
The title of the talk is: No Respecter of Persons- the impact of Quaker persecution history on the radicalism of Tom Paine
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Thomas Paine Project gains traction in Lewes
12 April 2012
A Thomas Paine project has been established at the University of Sussex by Thomas Paine Society member Paul Myles and his supervisor Professor Richard Whatmore.
The Thomas Society part sponsored Paul's doctoral study on Thomas Paine in Radical Lewes last year with a £1000.00 grant. From this Paul has carried on his research, which has yielded rich findings from the digitisation of the Sussex Weekly Advertiser or Lewes Journal. This has led to Paul working with Priory School who want to create a two lesson module as a pilot with the aim of rolling this out across all schools in Great Britain. Brewers decorating materials have assisted with a further £1000.00 along with a further £200 grant from the Daughters of the American Revolution Walter Hines Chapter in London will fund Paul's time in this respect. There are plans to work with the Royal Society when the lesson plans are completed.
The Project is as follows;
The radical beginnings of the United States of America in Lewes
• Paine’s period in Lewes 1768- 1774 had not been adequately studied until recently.
• Recent findings strongly indicate that there is much more to discover.
• The “Sussex Weekly Advertiser or Lewes Journal” has recently been digitised for this purpose showing that the owner and printer William Lee was regularly publishing a radical reformist political commentary during Paine’s sojourn in Lewes.
In 1776 Thomas Paine wrote “Common Sense”, the political pamphlet that rallied the American colonists to war for American independence from Great Britain. Paine coined the phrase “The United States of America”. Acknowledged as one of the Founding Fathers of the USA, Paine is little known in his native United Kingdom.
Thomas Paine wrote “The Case of the Officers of Excise” while in Lewes. This document has not been adequately studied before the current research project commenced.
William Lee printed 4000 copies for distribution. It presents a case for national unionisation and for lobbying at a national level. This document foreshadows Paine’s mature politics. It is now beyond any doubt that Paine was instructed to appeal for better pay and conditions for 2700 ordinary Officers of Excise by the Central Excise Office in London.
Americans will be able to trace the history that led to the genesis of the United States of America
Lewes remains an almost perfectly preserved Georgian Town, where visitors can see the room in the White Hart where Paine debated, the Crown Castle Green where he bowled, the house he lived in, the church he married in, and the High Street and twittens he walked down.
Americans will also be very interested to find that Lewes is also linked to General Thomas Gage, the Commander in Chief of the British forces, whose family’s seat is in Firle near Lewes, where he lies in the family vault with his American wife.
Our goal is to raise enough funds to achieve the following:
• Create lesson plans for Schools showing how the liberty of the British people was defended through the “ Sussex Weekly Advertiser or Lewes Journal” in the time that Thomas Paine was in town.
• Create a tourist attraction programme with the tourist industry and business in Sussex and the City of London
• Fund the ongoing research
• Establish a permanent visitor centre in Lewes
• Establish an ongoing series of Summer Schools in Lewes and on Campus
Paul Myles is the lead researcher and fund raiser. Following his publication of “Thomas Paine in Lewes 1768-1774: A Prelude to American Independence” the University of Sussex has supported his further research and encouraged this project.
Paul was the director for the 2009 Thomas Paine in Lewes Festival
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"Why we should Honour Paine" New York Times 1925- sent in by Seth Gopin
20 June 2012
Dr Seth Gopin sent this in, a great set of facts as relevant now as they were then.
Past events...
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Thomas Paine and Poetry at the AGM by Terry Liddle
12 November 2011 15:30
The talk will follow the AGM, commencing at about 3:15 pm. Terry has a great interest in radical poetry and has published on the subject. It is hoped that copies of his last work on the subject will be available at the meeting.
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AGM Sat 12 November Bertrand Russell Room Conway Hall 2-5 pm
12 November 2011 14:00
Nominations for officers and council members are invited. Motions to be put to the meeting must be submitted to the secretary by October the 12.
Secretary: Barbara Jacobson, 19 Charles Rowan House, Margery Street, London, WC1X 0EH Phone 020 7833 1395 -
Thomas Paine Plaque unveiled at Grantham
06 October 2011
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Thomas Paine at the Brighton Festival May 27 6.00 pm 2011 The Old Courtroom: Fringe event
27 May 2011 01:45
Press Release
Friday, 18 February 2011
An Illustrated talk
Thomas Paine in Lewes 1768- 1774
A Prelude to American Independence
in the Old Courtroom at 6.00 pm on the 27th May
A story of world changing beginnings.
Thomas Paine coined the phrase “ The United States of America”
Just 18 months after Thomas Paine left England as an Englishman for the last time he penned “ Common Sense” the pamphlet that inspired the American Colonists to the War of Independence with Great Britain.
Barack Obama used Paine’s words from the Crisis Paper number 1 in his inaugural speech
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."
Paul’s talk illuminates Paine’s formative time in Lewes just 6 miles up the road from Brighton. It is a talk about the mystery of how Paine was catapulted from the position of a lowly outrider of excise to the world stage. Paul, Dr Colin Brent and Dr Seth Gopin delved deeply, it was a sleuthing exercise, come and find out how it happened, and the work goes on.... There is new material surfacing every month now which Paul will share at this talk with stunning rare images from the 18th Century.
The mystery involves Benjamin Franklin and George Lewis Scott , a powerful shadowy figure close to the King...........
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"Thomas Paine and the English Radical Tradition" a lecture by Ted Vallance: Conway Halls 5th March 2011
05 March 2011 14:00
Ted Vallance from Roehampton University will deliver the Eric Paine Memorial Lecture in the Brockway Room at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
"My talk will investigate the place of Paine's thought within the English radical tradition. I will suggest that Paine had a greater debt to English intellectual traditions than is usually acknowledged or his own Francophilia would suggest. I will also argue that despite his apparent rejection of historical precedent or custom as a guide to current political arrangements, Paine did have his own conception of a radical tradition which he invoked in his works (especially Rights of Man pts 1 & 2)."
Admission free -
"Thomas Paine in Lewes and London" a Talk at Benjamin Franklin's House 28th Feb 2011 12.00 by Paul Myles
28 February 2011 12:00
"Thomas Paine in Lewes and London 1768 -1774: A Prelude to American Independence" a talk by Paul Myles
This talk was a sellout recently at Samuel Johnston's House.
Professor Richard Whatmore from the University of Sussex was instrumental in arranging the opening lecture series in the "Thomas Paine in Lewes" festival in 2009 while Paul was the Festival Director.
This collaboration has led to a closer look at the way Paine interacted with Benjamin Franklin and George Lewis Scott, a fellow member of the Royal Society and Commisioner of excise.
The story revolves around Paine' first pamphlet " the Case of The Officers of Excise" and how that came about. Whilst there is more research to be done there has already emerged a fascinating story of intrigue.
Paine was catapulted from the post of a lowly outrider of the excise service to the world stage. Benjamin Franklin wrote Paine a letter of introduction to America, and the world was changed when Paine publshed "Common Sense" just 18 months later.
£5/£3 concessions -
Tony Benn accepts the post of TPS President
03 October 2010
Tony Benn said he was 'delighted and honoured' to accept the position of President of the Thomas Paine Society at the ceremony to unveil the new statue of Paine at Lewes Library. Benn, who gave the keynote speech before watching a delightful 'mummers' play about Paine's time in Lewes, has been Vice-President for many years and helped found the TPS with Michael Foot in the early 1960s.