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 (part 1), was probably written at the Angel Inn, Islington. His other writings include: 'Common Sense' 1776, 'The Age of Reason' 1794, 'Agrarian Justice' 1795. There was also a book, Kingship, which he later changed to a second part of Rights of Man. This was possibly written at the Old Red Lion pub in St John Street. We can't find corroboration of either the Angel Inn, nor the Old Red Lion.
We learn, at , 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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