| Paine began as an Exciseman in Grantham but Alford was his first responsible
position. He started in August 1764. His office was in the Windmill Hotel
in what is now the bridal suite (today Room 105). It overlooks the main
Market Place in Alford. The inn was also and important trading and commercial
venue in the town. It's position made in idea for conducting business.
The Excise laws of the day were very strict. Many people felt that the
restrictions were grossly unfair so many ordinary people were involved.
It was there were many fights and consequently, casualties on both sides.
Most smuggling as carried out at night.
The period here was fairly peaceful when Thomas Paine served in Alford.
He to discourage smuggling rather than to punished it. He as dismissed
for passing some goods on their documentation, rather inspecting it himself.
This was a common enough where the trader concerned had a good name, but
it gave some jealous colleague may have shopped him. It was a number of
years before Paine was reinstated. He eventually served again at Lewes
in Sussex.
In 1774, Paine emigrated to America. At this time the people there were
preparing for Independence, which was formally declared in, 1776 July
04.
Paine became an influential writer. He became famous for his pamphlet,
"Common Sense", and is credited for coined the name 'United
States of America'. He was a good friends with Benjamin Franklin and George
Washington.
For several years, Paine was the Secretary to the Department for Foreign
Affairs, and later, Clerk to the Assembly of Pennsylvania. However, Paine
soon fell out with his American friends and subsequently did on hold anymore
positions of authority in the United States.
He left America to go to France at the time of the Revolution. At about
this time he wrote his two greatest books "The Rights of Man"
and "The Age of Reason", which continue to be published today.
After ten years in France, Paine returned to America. He died in obscurity
in New York, in 1809 on June 08. His bones were being brought back to
the UK in 1819 for burial but unfortunately, they were washed overboard.
In a sense, he was finally, laid to rest in between the countries where
he did some much revolutionary work. |
