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. 143] George R Our Will and pleasure is, that you prepare a Bill for Our Royal Signature to pass Our Great Seal, Containing Our Grant of the Dignity of a Baronett of this Our Kingdom of Great Britain Unto Our Trusty and Welbeloved Hans Sloane of Chelsey in Our County of Midlesex Doctor of Physick. To have hold and enjoy the same unto him the said Hans Sloane and the heires Males of his body Lawfully begotten together with all Rights Precendencies Priviledges & Advantages to the said Dignity of Baronet of this Our Kingdom belonging or Appertaining and with such Clauses as are Usualy containd in a Baronet’s Patents And for so doing this shall be your Warrant Given at Our Court at St. James’s the 23d day of March 1715/6 in the second year of Our Reign. By his Ma:tie’s Comand Townshend To Our Trusty & Welbeloved Our Attorney Generall.
Read more- Letter 2071
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |