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. 207] S.r Dr Tanner, who informed me that in one of your MSS of Phisick, there is contained somewhat relating to the famous S.r John Hastolf hath communicated to me some Extracts from it, by which I hope this Volume may be discovered, De virtuti Olei Oliva Secundum Petrum de Crescentys, prout compilavi de libro Joannis Somerset M D. in Univ. Cant 1471[.] Aquavita- Secundum fratrem Joannem Willys Ord. Min. conventus Bridgewater[.] Tractalus de Arbori Benedicta dedicatus Rev’me Archupo Cant a magistro Arnoldo de Villa Nova[.] Collections Medicinales, wherein is an account of one John Green a Physitian in Bristoll[.] If by these Notes you could readily put your hand upon this Book, you would very much oblige me, in a design I am engaged in of retrieving the Memories of the Antient Knights of the Garter, and none hath been so much injured as that of Sr John Hastolf. I beg your pardon for this presumption, and am with the greatest respect Yr most Obedt humble Servt John Anstis Heralds Office ffeb. 15 1721/2
Read more- Letter 2556
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |