This month’s object is this pair of mittens made by the Ancient House Knit and Knatter group.
The mittens were created in 2008 as part of the town’s commemoration of the bicentenary of Thomas Paine’s death.
Paine was born in Thetford on January 29, 1737 on what is now known as White Hart Street.
The group made the mittens because Paine gave the proceeds from his revolutionary pamphlet Common Sense to go towards mittens for the American soldiers.
Common Sense is regarded as one of the most influential pamphlets in American history.
The red white and blue stars and stripes pattern were assembled into a giant ‘Betsy Ross’ flag and displayed in the front window of the museum during the commemoration period in June 2009.
Elizabeth Griscom “Betsy” Ross is widely accredited with making the first American flag.
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