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. 25]
Worthy Sir
When I arrivd here in April last
from Cochinchina I took the opportunitie just to let
you know that I was alive; and upon my arrival at
Banjar I receivd yours of the date December 15. 1704
with a great deal of pleasure being the second I have
had from you since I left England. Im obligd to
you for remembring me with some Books, but only the
Transactions come to my hands. After the Honble
Companie was pleasd to conferr upon me the
Chiefship of Banjar, I thought of staying there
sometime to fetch up my losses, but now that place
being likewise ruind, I begin to think it high time
to make a trip home to visite mt friends which is
the greatest raritie I can bring them after running
of so many hazards (the relation whereof might
bring me into the list with Mendez Pinto) which
have deprivd me of the opportunitie I formerlie
enjoyd of endeavouring to graitifie my Worthy Friends
with what curiosities came in my way: Nevertheless
the deep impression of Gratitude & my Inclinations
continue still the same, & as a token thereof I send
you a few minute Specimens of Cochinchinese
Plants by the Surgeon of the Carleton, hoping to
bring the rest myself upon the Bleinheim next year
if we meet but a favorable of getting a loading here
for her. I am with all imagineable respect
Sir
Your most Obliged &
most Humble Servt
Ja: Cuninghame
Batavia
Septr. 22. 1707
Read more- Letter 1162
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |