A volunteer at The National Archives in Kew, London, has discovered a rare early printed copy of the Declaration of Independence among papers connected to an American ship captured by the British Navy in 1776. The find was made by Michael Scurr while cataloguing letters and documents from 18th-century Royal Navy captains. The document had been folded into Captain Thomas Fitzherbert’s correspondence and was later transferred through British government offices, eventually becoming part of the national archive collection. Sources describe the copy as one of the rarest surviving versions because it comes from a later July 1776 batch printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, rather than the widely known Philadelphia printing of July 4. Historians cited by outlets including BBC and CBS say only 11 examples of the Exeter printing are known, making the newly identified copy exceptionally significant. NBC News, CBS News, and others report that the document has since undergone authentication and conservation before being placed on public display at The National Archives in an exhibition about America’s independence story. Reporting also traces the document’s arrival in Britain to the British capture of the American vessel Dalton in pursuit off Portugal.
Rare copy of the Declaration of Independence found in UK National Archives
A volunteer at The National Archives in Kew, London, has discovered a rare early printed copy of the Declaration of Independence among papers connected to an American ship captured by the British Navy...
- A volunteer, Michael Scurr, finds an early printed copy of the Declaration of Independence at The National Archives in Kew, London.
- The document is discovered among Royal Navy records tied to a British seizure of an American ship in 1776, and it was folded within Captain Thomas Fitzherbert’s correspondence.
- The copy is described as a rare Exeter, New Hampshire printing from later July 1776, distinct from the more famous July 4, 1776 Philadelphia printing.
- Historians say only 11 examples of the Exeter printing are known, and the newly identified copy is the only known surviving example outside the United States.
- The document is authenticated, conserved, and placed on public display at The National Archives.
The one found in London, printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, in mid-July 1776, is the 11th surviving copy of the so-called "Exeter Declarations," and is the first to be found outside the United States.
1 month agoAn extremely rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found hidden amongst Revolutionary War letters found outside of the US.
1 month agoAn extremely rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found hidden amongst Revolutionary War letters found outside of the US.
1 month agoA rare Declaration of Independence captured from an American Privateer by a Royal Navy warship on Christmas Eve 1776 has been discovered. The post Previously Unidentified Original Declaration of Independence Discovered in UK Royal Navy Archives appeared first on Breitbart.
1 month agoCaptured from a Revolutionary privateer in 1776, the document sat unread in Royal Navy files for 250 years until Michael Scurr unfolded it one morning.
1 month agoGraham Moore, the Revolution 250 curator at the National Archives, said the "exceptional" item was "one of the rarest forms of the Declaration we know about".
1 month ago
Police seek witnesses after young girl reports being grabbed by stranger in Collie
Police are investigating a report that a young girl was grabbed from behind by a stranger in Collie last week. Investiga...
USS Abraham Lincoln returns home amid scrutiny over living conditions and sailor morale
The USS Abraham Lincoln is set to head home from the Middle East after an extended deployment, as concerns reported by s...
Nitin Gadkari says Mumbai-Pune Expressway stays pothole-free after 27 years
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says the Mumbai–Pune Expressway remains pothole-free even after 27 years, drawing attention...