The Polly, seized in July 1776, looked like an ordinary merchant ship hauling oil, candles and flour. In truth, she carried a secret mission: passenger William Hodge held orders to buy muskets, gunpowder and warships for Congress—papers he threw overboard moments before capture #skystorians #history

On 3-4 July 1776, as Philadelphia finalised the Declaration of Independence, four American merchant ships were seized off Cape Henlopen, Delaware by the British, and taken to New York Bay. Papers from the Adrian, Fidelity, and Peggy were likely lost. More soon on the Polly's secret mission

On 3-4 July 1776, as Philadelphia finalised the Declaration of Independence, four American merchant ships were seized off Cape Henlopen, Delaware by the British, and taken to New York Bay. Papers from the Adrian, Fidelity, and Peggy were likely lost. More soon on the Polly's secret mission

This just *keeps* happening to us. (This is a great, great story, about brilliant work in the now and fascinating print diffusion in the past. Come and see the exhibition which is STUFFED with this kind of story.)

John Sheridan@johnlsheridan.bsky.social · last mo.

Well, look at that. A rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence has just turned up, where I work. See: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....

Rare find at the National Archives UK: earlier this year, the volunteer Michael Scurr at TNA discovered one of the earliest prints of the US Declaration of Independence in the Royal Navy Captains’ letters collection and can be linked to our collection as it travelled on the American privateer Dalton

Finding a new copy of the US Declaration of Independence

In May 2026, a volunteer working on a cataloguing project at The National Archives made an astonishing discovery.

nationalarchives.gov.uk

Rare find at the National Archives UK: earlier this year, the volunteer Michael Scurr at TNA discovered one of the earliest prints of the US Declaration of Independence in the Royal Navy Captains’ letters collection and can be linked to our collection as it travelled on the American privateer Dalton

Finding a new copy of the US Declaration of Independence

In May 2026, a volunteer working on a cataloguing project at The National Archives made an astonishing discovery.

nationalarchives.gov.uk

Actually, it was a volunteer archivist at The National Archives, Kew called Michael Scurr who found it, not the "UK" that found it. (with a sharing link for 3 non-subscribers). giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

UK finds lost US Declaration of Independence copy after 250 years

Document revealed by National Archives ahead of its anniversary on Saturday

giftarticle.ft.com

This is a brilliant story. Hooray for archives, and for their staff and volunteers. 📝📄🗄️🗃️ www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives

One of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer ship

theguardian.com

Lovely story, and thankfully devoid of the clichés and errors that are often present when finds in archives are reported.

‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives

One of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer ship

theguardian.com

we have some fun 4 July news over at The National Archives! a new copy of the US Declaration of Independence, with an amazing story behind it (privateers! printers! prisoners!) - but also, a find that shows the power and importance of our volunteering and cataloguing projects.

‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives

One of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer ship

theguardian.com

The Prize Papers team, led by Dr. Amanda Bevan at the UK National Archives, has been finding so many historical treasures and discoveries. Here, a rare Copy of the Declaration of Independence —captured by a British warship from an American privateer off the Coast of Spain in 1776–

Rare Copy of the Declaration of Independence Is Discovered in London

nytimes.com

The Prize Papers Project announces a new collaboration with Capstan Games. Together with the German Maritime Museum and the Gamelab Oldenburg, we explore the Age of Sail by linking archival research with historically grounded game development for the game Ahoy #maritimehistory #earlymodern #history

Dream positions: 3 (!!) PhD placements at the Prize Papers with emphasis on finding students with the following language skills: French, Spanish, Dutch, and Scandinavian languages. (Of course, I emphasize the Dutch language!) www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/professional...

Exploring the Prize Papers, a global early modern archive

Using language skills, examine previously unknown records from the Prize Papers collection and produce descriptions to support digitisation.

nationalarchives.gov.uk

Our colleague, Dr Oliver Finnegan, records specialist for the Prize Papers at @nationalarchivesuk, holds a workshop on 'Practical Archival Skills Training (PAST) Workshop on English High Court of Admiralty Records', more info below & tickets can be booked here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/practical-...

Unfortunately, we have to cancel the last instalment of our lecture series, Ships and Seafaring 1500-1800, on March 30th. The hosts @lhaasis.bsky.social and @neleppp.bsky.social want to thank everyone who presented, participated in the discussions, and attended.

Next week, on the 23rd March, 1 PM CET, we welcome a very special guest to our Ships & Seafaring 1500-1800 Talk: Dr. Fred Hocker, the director of research at the @vasamuseet in Stockholm. In his talk, he answers the question we all want answered: why did the Vasa sank in 1628?

Next Monday, 16th March at 1 PM CET, we welcome Lucas' colleagues from the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven to tell us more about reconstructing a historical shipwreck! Join us under www.eventbrite.com/e/ships-seaf...! #earlymodern

On Monday, at 1 PM, we welcome Casey Schmitt to our Ships & Seafaring Talk, where she will present her book "The Predatory Sea", a full-length study of the entangled history of captivity and colonialism using Spanish, French and English archives. Sign up here: www.eventbrite.com/e/ships-seaf...

Want to learn more about the spectacular find on the Danish cargo ship Anne-Marie? Sign up for an exciting roundtable with researchers from the Faroe Islands here: www.eventbrite.com/e/ships-seaf... #skystorians #19thcentury #earlymodern #maritimehistory

Join us Monday, 23rd February at 1 PM for Lunch Talks: Kings of Privateering, where we’ll explore how Spanish privateers in the 18th-century Caribbean were vital instruments of imperial power—driving war, trade, smuggling, and the trade with enslaved people with remarkable agency.

Next Monday (February 9th), Hielke van Nieuwenhuize talks about the role Dutch Seamen played in Sweden's expansion beyond the Baltic Sea during the Swedish "Stormaktstiden". Sign up here www.eventbrite.com/e/ships-seaf... #skystorians #earlymodern #maritimehistory

Check out the link below for more information and the registration for Alejandro Salamanca Rodríguez's (@desvelandooriente.com) book presentation and the workshop on Early Modern Transatlantic Migration here: www.eui.eu/events?id=58...

Next week (26/01 @ 1PM), the Ships & Seafaring Talks - a Prize Papers Talks Special Edition with the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven welcomes a very special guest: underwater archaeologist Felix Rösch from the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, who is excavating a very special Hanseatic merchant ship!

For the first talk of the second half of our Ships & Seafaring 1500-1800 series - A Prize Papers Talks Special Edition, Milagrosa Romero Samper is taking us to Honduras to tell a tale about dye-ing feud! Sign up here: www.eventbrite.com/e/ships-seaf... #earlymodern #maritimehistory #skystorians

“A new take on European expansion” Just before Christmas project director @dagmarfreist.bsky.social gave an interview on the project and her recent trip to the Spanish embassy. Check it out here: uol.de/en/news/arti...

A new take on European expansion

Historian Dagmar Freist recently presented the Prize Papers Project at the Spanish Embassy in London. In this interview, she talks about captured galleons, secret trade networks, slavery, and moving l...

uol.de

Nicolás Cranisbro (or Cranisbrough) was a passenger on the Fort de Nantes. He belonged to an Anglo-Spanish family from El Puerto de Santa María . His personal archive contains many letters, some of them entrusted to him for his delivery, He also had calligraphy exercises, prayers...

The first half of "Ships and Seafaring 1500–1800" has wrapped up! Last Monday’s talk closed this year’s program, and we’ll be back with more in 2026. We wish you all a well-deserved Christmas break. We’ll be back on January 12 with our next talk—until then, you can check out the whole program below

This week we release some letters that were on board the Fort de Nantes. These were not delivered to the official mail circuit but were instead entrusted to passengers who would deliver them personally. #earlymodern #maritimehistory

Next Monday, the Prize Papers Talk is hitting new waters, as Eleonora Rohland's talk dives into climate history: The Doldrums is a belt-shaped weather phenomenon near the equator, where winds are very weak, trapping sailing ships inside. Sign up here: www.eventbrite.com/e/ships-seaf...