In May, archivist Michael Scurr was perusing 18th‑century correspondences of a British naval captain at the National Archives in London when a single sheet of paper emerged from a bundle.
“I unfolded it, and the title was unmistakable: Declaration of Independence,” Mr Scurr, a volunteer cataloguer, recalled.
The sheet turned out to be a previously unrecorded copy of the historic Declaration, printed in mid‑July 1776 in Exeter, New Hampshire.
Only a handful—approximately ten—of the Exeter broadsides are known to have survived. The original broadsides were first produced by John Dunlap, a Philadelphia printer, to inform the nascent American colonies that their representatives had voted to sever ties with Britain. Subsequent editions, such as those printed in Exeter, followed as the proclamation spread.
Of Dunlap’s original 200 broadsides, just 26 have survived; even fewer Exeter copies are known, one having fetched over $5.6 million at auction in January.
Unveiled by National Archives historians this Thursday, the discovery arrived just before the 250th anniversary of American independence. Although the broadsides are generally well preserved, archivists noted a small tear that they repaired. The find will enter the archives’ collection, where other copies—such as a Dunlap broadside currently on display—are housed for the anniversary exhibition.
Ship records and the captain’s log illuminate the journey of the document across the Atlantic from New Hampshire to Britain, said Dr. Graham Moore, a historian and curator at the archives.
“It’s the most iconic document I’ve ever found, and it’s such a privilege to have found it,” said Bruno Pappalardo, who leads a team of 20 volunteers at the archives. He added that the team had catalogued more than 110,000 letters of naval correspondence, including those from the French Revolution.
A former insurance broker now retired, Mr Scurr explained that over his 11 years of volunteering, he has come across dozens of intriguing documents, including letters from a British captain detailing endeavors to establish colonies in Australia. “I studied history at school, and I believe it’s essential to learn from history—both by studying it and by experiencing it,” he said.
But the discovery of a copy of the Declaration of Independence remains a career highlight, he added. “It was an exhilarating find.”