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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

Author:
Recipient:

Barton Seagrave near Kettering Northamptonshire July the 1t 1735 Sir Having been Sollicited by Several of the Nobility and Gentleman of this and the Neighbouring Counties to send abroad The History of Northamptonshire, Collected by my Brother, the late Mr. John Bridges, with great pains & Expence I have at last determined to make it Publick. To this end I have sometime since put my Brothers Papers into the hands of a Gentleman, recommended to me as well qualified for the Undertaking who is preparing ’em for the Press with all the Expedition that the Nature of such a Work will Admit of. But as the Carrying it on with due care will still require a more than Ordinary Charge I have thought proper to apply to my Friends for their Assistance And to this purpose I have order’d the Bearer to wait upon you with the Proposals to which I refer you for a more Particular information. I only beg leave here to Assure you that whatever is Promised shall be faithfully Executed & that your Encouragement will very much Oblige Sir Your most Obed. Humble Servant Wm Bridges
Read more- Letter 4486


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4,545 Document summaries
Documents transcribed
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1,527 Medical Cases
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