Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1887 — Where Are Tom Paine's Bones? [ARTICLE]

Where Are Tom Paine's Bones?

Some six or seven years ago I was returning from Winchester to Waterloo, when a London bookseller got into the tram at Farnham, and recognizing me as a customer of his, we entered into conversation. He told me he had been to the sale of the effects of Cobbett’s sister, who, I believe, had recently died, and among the articles he had purchased was a trunk, which he believed to be full of Cobbett’s pamphlets, but upon unpacking after purchase he found a paper containing human bones, and marked “The Bones of Tom Paine.* Having them in the train, he said he would sell them to me at a reasonable price if I was willing to purchase; but 1 declined the offer. I cannot recollect the bookseller’s name, but the date of the sale, which could no doubt be ascertained, would fix the date at which they changed hands. What became of the bones afterward I never knew, not feeling sufficiently interested to inquire. George Potter. The mortal remains of this philanthropic but calumninated individual have probably not been reinterred since they were brought to this country in 1810. A similar inquiry to that of M. A. Oxon ba3 previously been made in “N. & Q.” Following up the result of that inquiry, I made a pilgrimage to Guilford in 1870 or 1877, and endeavored to trace the “bones,” as I was then preparing a biography of Cobbett. I succeeded so far as to discover a tradesman who recollected that his father possessed the box of relics, which had come into his possession after the sale of Cobbett’s effects in 18M5. But no information could be obtained definitely as to what had become of the box or its contents, and I had no subsequent opportunity of following up my researches on the spot. I may add to this memorandum a record to the effect that a lock of hair from Paine’s desecrated skull came into my possession some years ago, which had previously belonged to Mr. Tilly, Cobbett’s secretary. —Notes and Qu ries.

Colonel R. S. Withers, Fair Lawn Stock Farm, Kentucky, and Joseph Cairne Simpson, Esq., Secretary Pacific Coast Blood Horse Association, commend St. Jacobs Oil for all horse complaints. Sold by druggists and dealers.