Key Takeaway
One of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer shipFor Michael Scurr, a volunteer at the National Archives in Kew, west London, it was “just a boring old Thursday morning” when he sat down in late May to catalogue a collection of documents from the British national collection that had…
Published July 2, 2026 · Category: News
Overview
One of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer ship
For Michael Scurr, a volunteer at the National Archives in Kew, west London, it was “just a boring old Thursday morning” when he sat down in late May to catalogue a collection of documents from the British national collection that had never previously been recorded in detail.
Details
As he opened a volume of 18th-century Royal Navy correspondence, however, Scurr unfolded a document whose opening words he recognised. “In Congress, July 4, 1776. A declaration by the representatives of the United States of America …”
Continue reading...
Source
Originally published at www.theguardian.com.
Related Articles
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives" about?+
One of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer shipFor Michael Scurr, a volunteer at the National Archives in Kew, west London, it was “just a boring old Thursday morning” when he sat down in late May to catalogue a collection of documents from the British national collection that had never previously been recorded in detail.As he opened a volume of 18th-century Royal Navy correspondence, however, Scurr unfolded a document whose op
Who reported this story?+
This story was reported by The Guardian World.