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Welcome to The Sloane Letters Project

sloaneA 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. 335] Dear Sir, The inclosed is an Account of the present state of our Presse, which by reason of the Impositions on Paper, and Foreign Trade, is in a very languishing condition. I think some Part of this catalogue, has formerly been put at ye end of a Transaction, which is again submitted to your Consideration. Dr Gregory is preparing the Presse for you, and Dr Nallis is considering how to furnish you. I have now by me four Volumes of the Transactions of our Former Society in MS, which if you desire to peruse, when I com to London, which must be within a month, they shall be privately brought to You by Your obliged Humble servant Ar Charlett Univ. Coll. July 18. 97.
Read more- Letter 0456


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4,545 Document summaries
Documents transcribed
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1,527 Medical Cases
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