Key Takeaways
- A volunteer at the UK National Archives discovered a rare 1776 “Exeter” printing of the Declaration of Independence, one of only eleven known surviving copies and the sole one located outside the United States.
- The document was originally printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, to disseminate news of the Declaration’s signing and was commonly carried aboard ships.
- The copy was seized from the American privateer ship Dalton by the British Royal Navy vessel HMS Raisonable on Christmas Eve 1776 after a seven‑hour chase off the coast of Portugal.
- After its capture, the Declaration was filed among miscellaneous papers and remained unnoticed for 250 years until volunteer Michael Scurry identified it while cataloguing a box of correspondence.
- Conservation work repaired a minor tear and stabilized the paper, ensuring the document’s long‑term preservation.
- Curators emphasize that the copy’s presence on a wartime privateer highlights its role as a rallying symbol for those fighting for American independence.
- The find underscores the transatlantic flow of revolutionary ideas and the unexpected ways historical artifacts can resurface centuries later.
Discovery of the Exeter Declaration
A remarkable piece of American revolutionary history has resurfaced in an unlikely place: the United Kingdom’s National Archives. While sorting through a box of old correspondence, volunteer Michael Scurry stumbled upon a fragile sheet of paper that experts quickly identified as a 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence known as the “Exeter Declaration.” This copy is one of only eleven surviving exemplars of this particular edition and, notably, the only one known to reside outside the United States. The discovery was announced by Saul Nassé, Chief Executive of The National Archives and Keeper of Public Records, who described it as “an extraordinary discovery” and a “vanishingly rare surviving copy” found not in America but in the U.K.
Origins and Purpose of the Exeter Printing
The Exeter Declaration was produced in Exeter, New Hampshire, shortly after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. Unlike the formal engrossed copy housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., these Exeter printings were made quickly and in large numbers to spread the news of independence across the colonies and beyond. Printers used a simple press to create broadsheets that could be easily posted, handed out, or stowed aboard ships. As a result, many copies traveled on merchant and privateer vessels, serving both as propaganda and as a tangible reminder of the cause for which sailors and soldiers were fighting.
Seizure by the Royal Navy
The particular copy now held in London began its journey across the Atlantic aboard the American privateer Dalton. On Christmas Eve 1776, after a grueling seven‑hour pursuit, the British Royal Navy frigate HMS Raisonable captured the Dalton off the coast of Portugal. Among the seized materials were the ship’s privateer commission, printed instructions from the Continental Congress, and the Exeter Declaration. The British sailors, unfamiliar with the document’s significance, filed it away as “another paper” among miscellaneous correspondence. It remained tucked away in the Admiralty’s records for the next two and a half centuries, unseen by scholars and the public alike.
Volunteer’s Role in the Identification
The document’s rediscovery is credited to the keen eye of Michael Scurry, a long‑time volunteer at the National Archives in London. While re‑cataloguing a box of miscellaneous papers, Scurry noticed the distinctive layout and wording of the Declaration. Recognizing its potential importance, he called over his supervisor for a second opinion. Subsequent examination by archival specialists confirmed the sheet’s identity as one of the rare Exeter printings. Scurry’s find highlights the vital role that volunteers play in uncovering hidden treasures within vast archival collections.
Conservation Efforts
Upon identification, the National Archives undertook a careful conservation program to preserve the fragile document. Conservators repaired a small tear along the edge of the sheet and applied stabilizing treatments to counteract the natural brittleness of 18th‑century paper. Dr. Graham Moore, a curator at the National Archives, explained that the Exeter Declaration was never intended for long‑term preservation; it was produced hastily for rapid distribution. Nevertheless, the conservation work ensures that the document can now be safely handled, displayed, and studied for generations to come.
Historical Significance of the Copy’s Journey
Dr. Moore emphasized that the presence of the Exeter Declaration aboard the Dalton offers valuable insight into the mindset of American privateers during the Revolutionary War. For the sailors on board, the document was more than a news bulletin; it was a statement of the principles they were risking their lives to defend—liberty, self‑governance, and the rejection of tyranny. The fact that such a copy was carried on a privateer underscores how revolutionary ideals permeated everyday life, even among those engaged in maritime warfare far from the political centers of Philadelphia or Boston.
Context Within the Broader Collection of Exeter Copies
Of the eleven known Exeter printings, most remain in American institutions such as the Library of Congress, various state historical societies, and university libraries. The UK’s copy is unique not only because of its transatlantic location but also because of its provenance tied to a naval capture. This provenance adds a layer of narrative that distinguishes it from other survivors, linking the document directly to the conflict’s naval theater and to British efforts to suppress the rebellion. Scholars now have an additional data point for studying how revolutionary propaganda circulated and how it was treated by opposing forces.
Public and Academic Response
The announcement has generated considerable excitement among historians, archivists, and the general public. Exhibitions are being planned to showcase the Exeter Declaration alongside other Revolutionary War artifacts, allowing visitors to trace the document’s path from a New Hampshire printing press to a British warship and finally to a London archive. Academics anticipate that the copy will stimulate new research into the spread of revolutionary ideas, the role of privateers in the war effort, and the ways in which both American and British forces perceived and British authorities handled dissenting literature.
Conclusion: A Testament to Enduring Ideals
The rediscovery of the Exeter Declaration serves as a poignant reminder that the ideals articulated in 1776 continue to resonate across time and geography. Though the document was originally meant to be a fleeting broadsheet, its survival—first on a daring privateer, then hidden in British archives, and finally brought to light by a diligent volunteer—illustrates the unpredictable journeys that historical artifacts can undertake. As the National Archives preserves this rare copy, it offers a tangible connection to the courage and conviction of those who fought for American independence, reinforcing the enduring power of a simple sheet of paper to inspire nations.