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. 2]
Sr Upmr Oct: 26 1711
The Surveyour hath finished the Measur-
ing part of your Lands, & had all the infor-
mation he could get of the names of the Lands:
but they called them only by the Names of their
quantity of Acres, as the 10 acre, 12 acre, &c piece
He earnestly desires you to send him the
Names, if your writings contain them. Direct
to Capt Stanes at Rumford (which is the Sur-
veyours name.) He consulted Finches Lease, but
to no purpose.
I was minded you should see the purport of
the inclosed to Mr Towneley; & have put it up to
yt I think it cant possibly pass as a double Lr.
I beg the favr of you to seal it, & to cause it
wth all safety to be put into the Post-office.
I have been very busy in trying Mashalls
100 foot Glass, wch I believe is very good, altho
I have not had clear weather enough to try
it to my mind. But I find it is not near 100
feet, as Marshal thought it. I hope to give
you & the Society some account of Saturns Satellites
Jupiters & Marss Spots, &c. I have a pretty stronf con-
ceit I can improve Sr Hanes Catoptrical Telescope; but
the expence it would put me to, males me find the
wand of a small additional Preferment, wch if I could
obtain, I should devote in a great measure to the im-
provement of Learning, rather than the enriching my
self. Wth great respect I am your Ladies, &
Sr Your much obliged & affectionate
humble servant
Wm Derham
Read more- Letter 1813
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |