British archives discovered a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence among the documents of a captured American ship.

LONDON (AP) — Michael Scurr has been volunteering at Britain’s National Archives for the past 11 years, and spent Thursday mornings painstakingly cataloging documents for future researchers.

Then one day last May, the retired insurance executive made a discovery of his own while examining letters from an 18th-century British naval captain.

Attached to it was an enclosure identified only as “another document” reporting on the capture of American private Dalton on Christmas Eve 1776. Carefully unfolding the document, Scurr stopped when he saw the word “Declaration” printed at the top.

“I thought this was definitely the Declaration of Independence,” he told The Associated Press. “How exciting!”

This article spreads the news of independence

Researchers at the National Archives have identified the document as a rare early copy of America’s founding document, printed just days after the original was signed on July 4, 1776, spreading the news that the 13 rebellious North American colonies had severed ties with Britain.

It is one of 11 original copies of the so-called Exeter Print known to exist, and the only copy confirmed outside the United States, the National Archives said Thursday, unveiling the find ahead of the 250th anniversary of American independence this weekend. This version was printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, July 16-19, 1776.

But it is not just the date of a document that makes it important. Amanda Bevan, director of the National Archives’ project to catalog the correspondence of British naval captains during the American Revolution, said it was also true that the painting was seized from a ship on the orders of President John Hancock under the direction of the recently formed Continental Congress.

The public heard about the dire conditions faced by the Continental Army at places like Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, but paid little attention to the Americans who took to sea to disrupt British trade and fight the powerful Royal Navy, Bevan said.

Discovery is a nod to what’s at stake.

The discovery of a copy of the Declaration of Independence on board also suggests how it may have been used, Bevan said. She believes Dalton’s captain read his orders and the declaration itself, as was customary.

“They know why they’re fighting, but it’s expressed in language that means something bigger than themselves,” Bevan said. “They’re not fighting because they’re particularly dissatisfied. They’re fighting for ideals. And I think just finding a declaration on the battlefield that they’re going to fight for their country on the open seas is something special.”

As a privateer, the 18-gun Dalton was a privately owned ship that fought under the auspices of the Continental Congress to supplement the new nation’s small navy.

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Captain Thomas Fitzherbert, commander of the 64-gun HMS Raisonnable, chased Dalton for seven hours on Christmas Eve 1776 and captured her off the Portuguese coast. The 120 crew members of the Dalton were imprisoned under harsh conditions in Plymouth, England.

Charles Hebert, only 19 years old at the time of his capture, recorded hunger, disease, and repeated punishment in the journals he kept during his more than two years as a prisoner before his release from a prisoner of war exchange.

Despite this, many people survived.

Americans Share the Joy of Discovery

American historians are also excited about the National Archives’ discoveries.

Matthew Skick, director of collections and exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, said this copy of the Declaration of Independence provides a direct link to the captain of the Dalton, who spread the news of American independence around the world.

“This is not just a document, it is an artifact,” he said. “Holding that piece of paper in the hands of an archivist today is a real connection to the past because it’s a way to transport us back to 1776. In a way, it’s a passing of the baton.”

The discovery is also evidence that historians still have more to discover, Skic said.

“After 250 years, we still don’t know everything about the American Revolution, and there are still discoveries to be made.”

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