In the small Norfolk town of Thetford there is a statue to
Thomas Paine, who was born there in 1737. The town also has a
hotel named after him (The Historic Thomas Paine Hotel), which,
on its outer wall carries a commemorative plaque. During the
Second World War an airfield was built at nearby Knettishall for
the USAF Eighth Air Force for use in 1942/43. The plaque carries
a dedication to Paine which is worth quoting in full: THOMAS
PAINE 1737 – 1809 “Journalist, Patriot and Champion of the
rights of the common man, Thomas Paine, son of a humble Thetford
Staymaker was born near this house. From his talented pen came
the voice for the democratic aspirations of the American
Republic through such splendid writing as Common Sense, Crisis,
and The Age of Reason. Buried in New York this simple son of
England lives on through the Ideals and Principles of the
democratic world for which we fight today. In tribute to his
memory and to the everlasting love of freedom embodied in his
works, this plaque is gratefully dedi