Michael Scurr, a volunteer who has spent more than a decade helping catalog historical documents, made the find while reviewing the correspondence of a Royal Navy captain. The document was attached to a report concerning the capture of the American privateer Dalton on Christmas Eve in 1776 and was simply labeled as “another paper.”

When Scurr unfolded the document, he immediately recognized the printed word “Declaration” at the top, identifying it as a copy of America’s founding declaration.

Rare Early Printing Identified

Researchers at the National Archives determined that the document is one of only 11 known surviving copies of the so-called Exeter printing of the Declaration of Independence. According to the archives, the edition was printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, between July 16 and July 19, 1776, only days after the original Declaration was adopted on July 4.

Officials said it is the only known example of this printing located outside the United States.

Amanda Bevan, who leads the National Archives project cataloging Royal Navy captains’ correspondence from the American Revolutionary War, said the document’s historical importance extends beyond its rarity.

According to Bevan, the declaration was found among papers captured from a vessel operating under the authority of the Continental Congress, with orders signed by its president, John Hancock. The discovery provides additional evidence of how the newly adopted declaration accompanied American privateers during the conflict.

Window Into the Revolutionary War at Sea

Bevan said the find highlights the often-overlooked role of American privateers, privately owned ships authorized to disrupt British commerce and support the limited naval forces of the Continental Congress.

She believes the Dalton’s captain likely read both his official orders and the Declaration of Independence aloud to the crew before their mission, reflecting not only military objectives but also the ideals motivating the revolutionary cause.

The Dalton, an 18-gun privateer, was pursued for seven hours on Christmas Eve in 1776 by the 64-gun HMS Raisonnable under the command of Captain Thomas Fitzherbert before being captured off the coast of Portugal.

Its crew of approximately 120 men was taken prisoner and held in Plymouth, England.

Among them was Charles Hebert, who was 19 years old at the time of his capture. According to journals he kept during more than two years of imprisonment, he documented hunger, illness and repeated punishment before eventually being released in a prisoner exchange.

Historians Welcome the Discovery

The discovery has also drawn interest from historians in the United States.

Matthew Skic, director of collections and exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, said the document provides a direct physical connection to the people who carried news of American independence during the Revolutionary War.

Skic also said the find demonstrates that significant historical discoveries remain possible even after nearly two and a half centuries of research, reinforcing the continuing value of archival preservation and historical cataloging.

The National Archives unveiled the discovery on Thursday ahead of commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence this weekend.

Tags: United Kingdom, United States, Declaration of Independence, National Archives, American Revolution, Michael Scurr, Amanda Bevan, John Hancock, Dalton, Royal Navy, History, Historical Discovery

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July 23, 2025 – 4:30 PM

When a boy spotted wooden beams sticking out of a beach on a remote Scottish island, it kicked off a year-long investigation involving archaeologists, scientists, and dedicated locals. Their efforts just revealed that the remains likely belong to the Earl of Chatham — a British warship that served in major battles before its final days as a whaler in the Arctic.

Here’s how this remarkable discovery came together — and why it matters today.

A historic ship uncovered after a storm

In February 2024, a strong storm hit Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland. The high winds and heavy surf stripped away layers of sand from a beach, revealing the skeletal remains of an old wooden ship.

A schoolboy out for a run spotted the exposed ribs of the vessel. His sighting sparked immediate interest among the island’s 500 residents — many of whom have deep connections to the sea and its long, sometimes tragic, history.

Ben Saunders, a senior marine archaeologist with Wessex Archaeology, called the find “lucky.” Not just because it survived, but because it happened on an island with a strong sense of community and history.

“I think if it had been found in many other places, it wouldn’t necessarily have had that community drive, that desire to recover and study that material,” Saunders said.

Local effort brings the wreck ashore

As news of the ship spread, local farmers jumped in to help. Using tractors and trailers, they hauled 12 tons of oak timbers from the beach to the Sanday Heritage Centre.

“That was really good fun,” said Sylvia Thorne, one of the island’s volunteer researchers. “It was such a good feeling — everybody pulling together to get it back. Quite a few people are getting interested and becoming experts.”

The oak timbers were preserved in a freshwater tank while researchers worked to determine the ship’s identity.

Tree rings tell the story

Scientists used dendrochronology — the study of tree rings — to date the ship’s timber. The wood matched trees from southern England, felled in the mid-1700s. That timing lined up with Britain’s detailed naval records, which had just begun keeping careful logs of shipbuilding and wrecks.

Saunders explained how the team narrowed it down:

“You remove ones that are Northern European as opposed to British, you remove wrecks that are too small or operating out of the north of England, and you really are down to two or three… and Earl of Chatham is the last one left.”

From warship to whaler

Records show the ship was originally named HMS Hind, a 24-gun Royal Navy frigate built in Chichester in 1749.

It played a key role in British imperial battles. In the 1750s, it helped take Canada from France during the sieges of Louisbourg and Quebec. Later, it escorted supply ships during Britain’s losing effort to keep control of its American colonies in the 1770s.

After the war, the navy sold the ship in 1784. Renamed Earl of Chatham, it began a second career — as a whaling ship in the icy waters off Greenland.

Whale oil was a major resource in the 18th century, used for lighting, lubricating machines, and processing fabric during the Industrial Revolution.

In 1787, records list Earl of Chatham among 120 London-based whalers headed for the Greenland Sea.

A year later, disaster struck. A storm wrecked the ship off the coast of Sanday — but all 56 crew members survived.

That’s just one reason Saunders calls it a “lucky ship.”

Connecting past and present

The wreck’s discovery has energized Sanday’s small community, drawing attention to the island’s rich maritime past.

There have been nearly 270 recorded shipwrecks around Sanday since the 15th century, making it a hotspot for naval history and underwater archaeology.

For Ruth Peace, another community researcher, the find made that history feel real.

“One of the biggest things I’ve got out of this project is realizing how much the past in Sanday is just constantly with you — either visible or just under the surface,” she said.

The effort is also a model for how local communities can take the lead in preserving and understanding their history.

“The community have been so desirous to be involved,” said Saunders. “It’s down to them it was discovered, it’s down to them it was recovered and protected.”

What’s next for the Earl of Chatham

The recovered ship timbers are still soaking in freshwater to prevent decay. Long-term plans are underway to create a public display at the Sanday Heritage Centre.

Meanwhile, researchers say this type of discovery may become more common. As climate change alters coastlines and uncovers new layers of land and sea, long-hidden artifacts like the Earl of Chatham could resurface.

A living reminder of history

This story began with a boy’s walk on the beach and led to the identification of a vessel that once sailed into war, hunted whales, and weathered countless storms.

Now, thanks to teamwork between experts and locals, the Earl of Chatham is teaching us more about the world it sailed — and the one we live in today.

Have a story from the past your community uncovered? Share it with us.

Source: AP News  – Science and local sleuthing identify a 250-year-old shipwreck on a Scottish island

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Eighty years after the Battle of Okinawa, remnants of one of the fiercest and most deadly conflicts in the Pacific continue to surface, from human bones to unexploded bombs. Amidst the lush jungle of Okinawa’s hills, a “bone digger” named Takamatsu Gushiken spends his time excavating caves where civilians and soldiers sought refuge during the battle. His mission is to uncover the lost remains of those who perished in the conflict, offering a sense of closure to the decades-old scars of war.

Gushiken moves with precision through a narrow crevice in the cave, his flashlight illuminating bits of bones—a skull fragment, some smaller bones, possibly from a child. He speaks softly, his voice breaking with emotion, explaining why he’s drawn to this work: “They are human, and I am human too.” His discoveries paint a haunting picture of the past: a mother and child, trapped in a cave as US forces attempted to clear out hidden defenders, caught in the crossfire of war.

The Battle of Okinawa, fought between April and June 1945, claimed the lives of over 240,000 people—roughly 100,000 civilians, 110,000 Japanese soldiers and conscripts, and more than 12,000 American and allied troops. The battle’s brutal nature is evident in the overwhelming firepower used by American forces, including over 16 million machine gun rounds and 9 million rifle bullets. The legacy of that destruction is still felt today, as bones and remnants of the war continue to be uncovered on the island.

The island’s battle-scarred landscape offers visitors a rare opportunity to connect with history. On Ie Shima, the shell of a pawn shop is the only building to have survived the battle. At Tomigusuku, remnants of the Japanese Navy’s underground headquarters, where Vice Admiral Minoru Ota and 4,000 of his men took their own lives, stand as silent witnesses to the horrors of war. Nearby, caves with unexploded grenades and machine gun emplacements serve as eerie reminders of the conflict’s brutal nature.

For those eager to understand the full extent of the battle, the Okinawa Prefectural Archives offers a unique experience. Through archival photographs, visitors can compare the island’s current landscape with images from the battle, bringing the devastation of 1945 into sharp focus. Kazuhiko Nakamoto, an archivist and descendant of a survivor, reflects on the war’s impact on his own family, explaining how his mother, a young girl during the battle, miraculously survived amidst the chaos.

The archives also offer a poignant look at how Okinawans were caught in the crossfire of a war that was not of their making. Many Okinawans initially thought the Japanese troops were there to protect them, only to find themselves enlisted in a war they couldn’t escape. Textbooks promoted militarism in schools, preparing students—often young girls like the members of the Himeyuri Student Corps—to serve in the war effort.

The Himeyuri Peace Museum brings the stories of these young girls to life. Teenage students from Okinawa’s women’s schools were pressed into service to nurse injured soldiers in caves during the battle. Many of them witnessed the horrors of war firsthand, performing amputations without anesthesia, caring for soldiers delirious from brain fever, and burying their fellow students killed by gunfire.

The museum’s video testimonies, told by surviving students, are raw and heartbreaking, offering an intimate glimpse into their unimaginable suffering. The museum honors the 227 girls who died or went missing, many whose fates remain unknown. These haunting stories often evoke thoughts of the bones Gushiken finds in the caves—could they belong to one of these young girls?

Though only a small fraction of the remains found have been identified, Gushiken is committed to his work. However, he hopes for more action from the authorities, asking for improved technology to help identify the remains and return them to their families. “I hope the authorities will take a more proactive approach to identifying the bones,” he says.

On the American side, Steph Pawelski, a US Department of Defense teacher and military spouse, is similarly dedicated to preserving the history of Okinawa’s battle sites. Her interest in the battle’s history is personal—both of her grandfathers served on the island. Using old photographs, Pawelski retraces their steps, connecting the past with the present.

Pawelski’s work also extends to supporting veterans, like Neal McCallum, a Marine who fought on Okinawa and was wounded during the battle. McCallum, now 98, plans to return to Okinawa for the 80th anniversary of the battle, seeking closure for the events of 1945. Pawelski helps him navigate the island, ensuring that he visits the sites that hold the most significance for him.

McCallum’s reflections on his journey reveal how his perspective on the war has evolved. He recalls how, in 1981, a chance encounter with Japanese schoolchildren changed his deep-seated hatred of the Japanese. “I thought, what a fool I am for hating them,” he says, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness and understanding.

As Gushiken continues his work in the caves of Okinawa, he reflects on the lessons of the past. “No more wars,” he says. His hope is that by uncovering these remains and bringing attention to the horrors of war, future generations will be reminded of the importance of peace. In the end, the bones and battle sites are not just relics of history—they are a call for humanity to never forget the cost of war and to strive for a world free of violence and conflict.

Source: CNN – 80 years after World War II, Okinawa’s battle sites are still giving up bones and bombs

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