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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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[fol. 66] Dear Sr. yrs of ye 26. June last did not arrive here till 26 octr. yr kind present of books I had by ye mermaid bound for Legorn & this place in Augst last for wch I return you a thous’d thanks. I have Pera Plumiers treatise of ferns & only staid for yrs to enter them in my Pinax wch I am now about. I don’t render you were puzled wth Dr. Plukenets specimens; he seems to me to have been resolv’d to insert in his works all ye names of plants, he any where met wth, at least I beleive he would not have faisted in several out of books I lent him, but to let ye word see he had read them I am glad his collections are like to remain, if his plants may be set in a truer light. had I staid in Engld one year longer, I beleive I had had ye seeing of them, being very great wth him & having a promise of it from him when we were so near neighbours, wch wou’d have sav’d me a great deal of trouble, & of comitting a great many mistakes. I am sorry for Capt. Dampiers loss; I was in hopes of seeing speedily an acct. of his voyage wch woud have been very diverting & instructive. since you are pleased to mention ye duplicates of yr Jamaica plants as well as Meril’d wch you design me, I desire they may be deliverd to my Brother in order to be sent me by first convoy, for wth out one I will not venture them. if you will oblige me wth yr duplicates for Mr Cuningham (wch I find named in Dr. Plukenets Amalthoum) I’le indeavr to make some retaliation. The best sort of standing of imoveable Barometer (wch I suppose are made by Mr Partridg is what I desire. be pleased to send me also a hand glass for reading medalls, wch daily increase upon me, so yr I hope to make tho not a compleat, yet a large collection of wch many undescribed. I sent my Ld Pembroke seven silver ones of his catalogue by convoy inclosd to Mr Hill of ye Admiralty & since yet have ^found^ two mark wch shall be sent wth what Greek inscriptions I have, by first safe occasion; & then I shall presume to write his Ld ship again. I have order’d my Brother to pay you what you disburse for me & an yt acct for ye liberty of being so free wth you. be pleased to send me 2 of yr Catalogues in plures or bound, wch will save me ye time of copying it out. I want severall books wch I expect from Holland & else where, besides some of my own wch are not yet come over. I have writ to my brother to look them out if in case ^he cannot find them, to but them if he can meet them. such are Boccone dept-siulia 4to.H.R.Blos.moris.Botan.morspel.and Pereri d’Anguillara, Hortus Wingbury &c. by next convoy you shall have more specimens & some other curiosities of this country. my service to all friends, I am wthout reserve Dear Sr. yr most obliged humble servant WSherard Smirna Novr 15 1707
Read more- Letter 1173


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