Founded in 1745 by William Lee (1713–1786),[4] a native of Chichester, it is considered to be the first-ever newspaper in the county of Sussex.
[6] Historians credit Paine with authoring a satire that appeared in the Sussex Weekly Advertiser called 'The Trial of Farmer Short's Dog Porter'.
[7] Three local judges did not like the way a farmer named Short had voted in a recent parliamentary election, so they tried his dog, named Porter, after it inadvertently killed a hare, ordering it to be hanged.
[7] Paine denied writing that he ever published anything before leaving for the United States, but it is thought that the evidence that he did is too compelling.
There are several plausible reasons for his denials, including the likelihood that he wanted to protect family and friends from reprisals for his incendiary political writings.