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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

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MS 4046 Fol. 34 North Beirley Aug. 17 1723 Hon’d Sr The last year you was pleased favourably to accept of a few potted more game which induces me this season to send you the same present & shall be glad to hear they came to you in good order. You wil find in the box a few specimens of English plants, which I think you have not had from hence before alsoe the skin of a bird which frequents the viewlets perhaps it may be Tringa panlo minor of Aldrovandus I met with severall of these in Northumberland: I never met with this Bird before upon the river Tweed I observed two of the Lari kind, which I do not remember to have seen else where, one of them is as large as the great grey gull but white with its head tail & tip ends of its wings black. The other is a small darke blue one very active in catching small fishes. I have put up in the Box a few specimens of marble, which I brought from the mountains nigh simeton in Northumberland where large blocks of these & severall other beautyfull kinds may be had, I did not meet with the number of plants I expected to have met with in the north where almost every thing was burnt up especially in the mountains w (^)ch of an other season perhaps might afford more diversion to a Botanist. I tooke this trip into the north for the recovery of my health, after I had been confined for above two months by a very sharpe fitt of the gout, which has now perfectly left me with my hearty welwishes for your health I am your much obliged servant Ric: Richardson The box was sent by Taylor a Leedes Carrier on Wednesday last, he Inns at the White Horse Crupplegate
Read more- Letter 3817


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