Lewes History Group

Paul Myles: The Rise of Thomas Paine: and the Case of the Officers of Excise, etc, Lewes 1772. Thomas Paine Society UK, 2018.

Thomas Paine is known by all Americans as one of their founding fathers: his seminal publication Common Sense kindled the War of Independence.

This original and scholarly work by Paul Myles explains the rise of Thomas Paine, who was chosen by a Commissioner of Excise, George Lewis Scott, to write The Case of the Officers of Excise, while Paine was in Lewes in 1772.

This work identified and condemned the deep corruption within the English excise service, and called for the organization of workers to improve their pay and conditions. The origins of Paine’s links with figures such as Benjamin Franklin, so important when Paine moved to North America, is thereby explained.

Following a brief AGM we will have a presentation by Dr Diana Wilkins of Reeves Archive titled ‘From Suffrage to Citizenship: The Lewes Campaign for Women’s Right to Vote’, about the campaign for voting rights for women in Lewes.

This year is the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act and of the general election in which some women were able to vote for the first time, along with millions more men.

Diana will show photographs from the Reeves Archive and the LSE Women’s Library that tell the story of the peaceful suffragists in Lewes. The talk will include the militant suffragettes who went on hunger-strike in Lewes prison and the local opposition to suffrage.

Image of Justice from the Mary Lowndes album  from the LSE Library, copyright DACS. (Left)

The talk sets the scene for an Edward Reeves Archive exhibition in the series Stories Seen Through a Glass Plate, at Lewes Town Hall. Exhibition Open Day, Saturday 15 December 2018, 11-4 pm, then Mondays to Fridays from 17 December till 4 January, during Town Hall opening hours.

All are welcome from 7.00pm for free refreshments and updates on the Group’s activities. The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm and will finish by 9.00pm.

Entry for this meeting, incorporating the AGM, is free to Lewes History Group members, and £3 for non-members, payable at the door.

Venue: The King’s Church building on Brooks Road, Lewes, BN7 2BY. (Between Tesco car park and Homebase)

See the Meetings page for a list of  forthcoming monthly talks organised by the Lewes History Group.

An Archaeology South East event

Explore the excavations uncovering an early post-medieval tile kiln and learn more about Ringmer’s tile and pottery production past.

Friendly archaeologists will be on hand, answering questions about the site and displaying archaeological artefacts uncovered during excavations.

Further details on this poster