Welcome to The Sloane Letters Project
A pilot of this project, Sir Hans Sloane’s Correspondence Online, was first launched at the University of Saskatchewan in 2010 to coincide with the 350th anniversary of Sir Hans Sloane’s birth. The project was renamed The Sloane Letters Project when it moved to this site in 2016.
The correspondence of Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) consists of thirty-eight volumes held at the British Library, London: MSS 4036-4069, 4075-4078. The letters are a rich source of information about topics such as scientific discourse, collections of antiquities, curiosities and books, patients’ illnesses, medical treatments and family history. Most of the letters were addressed to Sloane, but a few volumes were addressed to others (MSS 4063-4067) or written by Sloane (MSS 4068-4069).
So far, we have entered descriptions and metadata for Sloane MSS 4036-4053 and 4075, as well as several letters from each of the following: Sloane MSS 4054-4055, 4066, 4068-4069 and 4076. Several of these entries also include transcriptions. Further entries and transcriptions are being made available gradually.
Please, explore the website and database. You can search through the letters, learn about Sir Hans Sloane or the letters written to him, and peruse blog posts about interesting letters!
Random Letter
Author:Recipient:
[fol. 134] Wisbech. May 5. 1708. Hon’ed Sr I have sent the Posture Master by my brother I order’d he shoud Call at yr house some day between one & two in the Afternoon & beg you woud doe him the favour to lett him have a glance at yr study &c, perhaps it may open his Ey’s, he is heir to a good Estate & has been educated some few years at Cambridge & is now goeing to turn Marchant, in his way of Trade he may have an opportunity some time of other, of meeting with something worth notice Pray good Sr. send word what an Olivers Crown piece is worth or if you can dispose of one. If I procure it, tis very fresh. Ime told its worth 50s or 3 ll. On one side is: OLIVAR.D.G.R.P.ANG.SCO.HIB&PPO. on the other the Arms with a Crown of PAX QVAERITVRBELLO 1658. on ye outward verge *HAS.NISI.PERITVRVS.MIHI.ADIMAT.NEMO. Pray Sr Dont forget the History of Jamaico & the lumber in yr Garrets, the next letter I send you shall have a Catalogue of my Physic book If there should happen to be any old book wch you want to make yr own compleat you may always comand yr most obliged humble serv’t RM Massey
Read more- Letter 0794
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |