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. 266] Sir, I rec’d yours of the 28th and am very sorry the RS whose welfare I so much desire should be any way prejudiced by my means, but really tis rather my fate than fault and they may in some sense thank themselves for choosing a person in all respects so very unfitt to serve them which I foresaw and earnestly desired them to pitch upon one more capable, and hope they will now see their Error, I being obliged to live so far out of Town that if I were in other respects as […] I am not, able to perform my duty that alone were sufficient to render me [‘uncapable’ crossed out and ‘unfitt’ written above] for the honour they have donn me. Sir it is no small uneasiness that I am forced to give you so much trouble, and may justly blush when I see you that I should shrinke my neck from that burden which should at least by halfe born by me, and must submitt to what you will please to inflict having scarce faith to ask a pardon. I know not certainly when I shall come to Town but when I do I will not fail to kiss your hand. As for the Keys of the Papers, I never had Mr Halleys key which possibly he has left with Dr Hook if not Mr Hunts will open his press. I have no late Papers in my Custody and do not remember to have seen those you mention of Mr Coopers I suppose they are in Mr Halleys press I gave the Keys of the other Presses a great while since to my Br Pitfield if I much mistake not for you as for the Transactions I am ashamed yet must own I cannot looke after the Printing of them at this distance – these Sir are the Crimes of Your real friend & humble servant.
Read more- Letter 0423
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |