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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. 157] Honorand Sir My gladnes to have found by the ocean from of my voyage into france some opportunity to charge me self with some thing at your service is as great as my duty which obligeth to look for occasions to return humbly thanks to you for all complaisance you shew me when I had the honour to be with you at London. I expected only such an occasion, because to do it, if it were not joined with some thing else of one of your good friends whoms correspondance you doubtless causeth a great pleasure. Tis Mr Geofroy at Paris, Sir, to whom I own this opportunity and which hath given me this courious Treatise from Montpellier, send it to you from Holland. He had not fail’d to give himself the honour to write you by sending this treatise, if his businesses of which he is always verry pressed would have permitted to him a moment of leasure He hopeth therefor you will excuse him and promiseth to observe it as soon as some books of importance will be published. What belongeth to me, Sir; you may be persuaded I shall not be no less carefull to be further at your service, in which I can think it may agree you. If you think to charge me with your especiall commandements for it, I wish it may be within a short time, because I hope to have left this country within a forth night for to get in that [fol. 159] infortunate Riga, where liveth you know your good friend Dr Krieg who war verry glad last year when I wrote him I had left you in verry good health when I went out of England. The bearer of this is an Saxon Gentleman and Physician; I do not doubt you will no less then you do to all strangers, same those who are not whorty of your favours give him prouves of your great kindness. By remembrance of which I can not but repeate my due offers of service and assure you I am with all repect Honorand Sir Your verry humble servant J B. fisher at Amsterdam the 25 July 1710.
Read more- Letter 1688


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