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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!

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Frances Hutchinson, Sloane MS 4043, fo. 38r.

[fol. 38r] Sr   Two or three days ago I met with the Tryal of the suppos’d Witch at Harford. I know not what Judgment the Town makes of it but to me it appears, that as there are many of these Circumstances which some or other have noever been wanting to swear at all past Tryals of Witches, so there is a very great deal of the same Folly & imprudence in the manager which, of ^when^ suffer’d, have never fail’d to bring great trouble & dis turbances, not only to the poor old Creatures, but to all timerous Persons, & the whole Neighbourhoods where they are, & which if it once gets head, our learned Judges will find hard to suppress, till its own Mischief hath convinced the World of the Guilt & Folly.      You have sometimes since the trouble of perusing some historical collections & observations I had made upon this Subject, & as I have them by me with some little improvement since you saw them, If this printed Case be considerable enough to want an Answer, & my Papers be thought any ^answer to it, ^ I would not be unwilling to venture any such Answers as I should meet with from same.  The Judge who tried her & hath the Life of the poor Woman upon his case, tho & hath Heard most of ye Arguments about it, is the likewise Person to Know what is proper in this case, But as I am a perfect Stranger to him, it would be a piver of Prosumption for an Obscure Country Parson to trouble him with his Papers, But If your general Conversation hath given you an Acquaintance With him, & he will give himself the trouble of reading them & shall afterward approve of them so far as to give leave to Have them dedicated to him it will encourage the Reader to Venture more freely in making his judgment of the case, & to Be a security to me from such insulting Involvement as

Frances Hutchinson, Sloane MS 4043, f. 38v.

[fol. 38v] may chance otherwise to meet with. But I submit all to your prudence & judgment, & will either send my papers up or forbear according as you advise.   I am Sr With much respect Your obliged & very humble servt Fran Hutchinson   Bury St Edmunds Apr. 3d 1712
Read more- Letter 1837

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