By R.W. Morrell

It has been generally accepted that the only office Thomas Paine was elected to by public vote was a seat in the French Convention. Now thanks to research undertaken by Leslie Davey of Lewes it is now known that Paine was at one time a member of Lewes Town Council. 

News of the discovery was made public for the first time at the Annual General Meeting of the Thomas Paine Society. Mr. Davey, on examining the Lowes Town Book, a manuscript work commenced in 1741 and containing details of the meetings of the Council of Twelve, as the Town Council was known, members of the Council added their signatures after each report found that seven reports had Paine’s signature among the others. The first signature being for September 15th., 1769 and the last, October 10th. 1772. 

The book also contains the signature of Samuel Ollive, Paine’s father-in-law, in 1745 he signed as one of the two Headboroughs and in 1752 as one of the two Constables. Members of the Society inspected the book when they visited Lewes Town Hall at the invitation of the Mayor. 

We extend our congratulations to Christopher Hill on his election as Master of Balliol. Mr. Hill, a well known historian, is a member of the T.P.S.