Rare 1776 ‘Exeter Declaration’ Found in U.K. Archive by Volunteer

A rare 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence has been discovered in the U.K.’s National Archive by a volunteer. Known as an “Exeter Declaration,” this is one of only 11 copies known to still exist, and it’s believed to be the sole surviving copy outside the United States. Saul Nassé, Chief Executive of The National Archives and Keeper of Public Records, described the find as extraordinary.

The Exeter Declarations were printed in Exeter, New Hampshire in 1776, intended for distribution via ships. On Christmas Eve in 1776, the British Royal Navy vessel HMS Raisonable seized a copy from an American ship, the Dalton, following a seven-hour pursuit off the coast of Portugal. The seized papers included the privateer’s commission, printed instructions from the Continental Congress, and the Declaration.

Now, 250 years later, Michael Scurry, a volunteer at the National Archive in London, found it while cataloguing correspondence. After identification, the document underwent careful conservation to repair a tear and stabilize the paper. Dr. Graham Moore, a curator at The National Archive, noted that this is one of the rarest forms of the Declaration known, highlighting its significance as it was on board the Dalton, indicating what the men aboard were fighting for.