Retired Briton stumbles across rare copy of US Declaration of Independence in unexpected location

A retired insurance broker has uncovered what experts are calling the "extraordinary discovery" of an exceptionally rare 1776 printing of the US Declaration of Independence.

Michael Scurr a volunteer at the National Archives in Kew, west London, made the find during what he described as a "boring, old Thursday morning" while sorting through historical documents - as he has done for 11 years.

The document is a printing from Exeter, New Hampshire, making it one of just 11 such copies known to exist worldwide.

Crucially, it represents the sole example of this particular printing held outside the United States, having remained hidden within British state records for nearly 250 years.

Mr Scurr came across the historic document in May whilst working through a collection of old captains' papers.

He said: "I started reading a particular letter, which seemed to have an awful lot of enclosures, and I thought, 'oh, I'm going to be here all morning with this letter.'

"But I do have to read everything to make sure that I pick up everything that's important and relevant."

After examining several enclosures, he unfolded a document bearing the word "Declaration" in large letters at the top.

"This is not something that I'd ever come across, and I thought, well, this is really exciting," he added.

"So, I called across to my boss, Bruno, and said, I think you should come and have a look at this."

The document's journey to British shores traces back to Christmas Eve 1776, when the Royal Navy intercepted an American vessel and seized its contents.

Such printings were created to spread news of independence rapidly throughout other British colonies, frequently transported aboard ships to garner support for the revolutionary movement.

Dr Graham Moore, a curator at the National Archives, said: "It's really significant for us because it's one of the few.

"This one is so interesting to me because not only is it new to us and it's a rare one, there's only 11 now of this Exeter Declaration in the world."

The National Archives already possesses three official printings of the Declaration, though none match the rarity of Mr Scurr's discovery.

He was instructed to maintain complete secrecy about his discovery 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 since undergone conservation treatment to remove creases and prepare it for public viewing.

Saul Nassé, chief executive of the National Archives, described the find as "a vanishingly rare surviving copy of the Declaration of Independence, found not in America, but here in the UK."

He added: "Preserved in our state records, it's a powerful reminder that this history of the American Revolution is fundamentally transatlantic."

The document will soon feature in the Archive's Revolution 250 exhibition, covering America's independence from 1763 to 1783.