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. 295] Hond Sr. Last Night (I thank God) I came safe and with very good Company to Harwich when we found the town full of Passengers bound for Holland, many of whom have lain here wind bound above a ffortnight at no small Expense of Time & Money. But this Morning God be praised a Wind has mooved about, so that we are all preparing to sail at Noon wch is now small Comfort both to them or us. We are now why being in laying Passage & that we may be in Holland to Morrow, from thence Sr as soon as our Sail is over you may be assured you shall hear more at last from Hond Worthy Sr Yr most Obedient + humble Servt James Petiver Harwich Thursday Morning June 7th 1711 P.S. Its now almost 12 at Noon & the Post, just going away leaving us behooldn Hope & Fear the Wind wavering we no call, so up we must rejoin unknowing our departure to the ffuture port Letters. My Requests to the Royal Society & yourself & all ffrinds.
Read more- Letter 1752
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |