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Volunteer Finds Rare 1776 Exeter Printing of U.S. Declaration of Independence at National Archives
A volunteer sorting documents at the National Archives in Kew discovered one of only 11 known copies of an Exeter, New Hampshire printing of the 1776 Declaration. The document had remained in British records for nearly 250 years and will go on public display after conservation.
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A volunteer at the National Archives in Kew, west London, found a rare 1776 printing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence while sorting historical papers in May. The document is an Exeter, New Hampshire printing, one of just 11 such copies known to exist. It is the only example of this printing held outside the United States.
Scurr, a retired insurance broker who has volunteered at the archives for 11 years, came across the document among a collection of old captains' papers. After unfolding several enclosures, he noticed the word "Declaration" printed in large letters at the top.
"This is not something that I'd ever come across, and I thought, well, this is really exciting," Scurr said. The document traces its path to Britain to Christmas Eve 1776, when the Royal Navy seized an American vessel carrying the printing. Such copies were produced to spread news of independence to other British colonies.
Graham Moore, a curator at the National Archives, said the find is significant because it is one of the few examples of its kind. The archives already hold three official printings of the Declaration, but none match this printing's rarity. Scurr was instructed to keep the discovery secret for more than a month while historians examined and verified the document.
"A secret is something that needs to be kept, if it's not, it's not a secret, so I just kept quiet about it," he said. The document has undergone conservation treatment to remove creases and will be included in the archives' Revolution 250 exhibition covering America's independence from 1763 to 1783.
