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. 308]
Dear Sr.
I thank you for yrs& ye Transactions, wch I since read. pray let me know what ye whole sett will cost & in how many volumes bound. I’me dest-ined by 2 correspondents to send them word. I shoud be glad to hear you have picked up any other of ye books my friend being ready to go for Paris you may print Sigre Dal Papas paper if you think fitt. we hear The London is ot of his place, her Grace has asked me abt it severall times but I know no-thing of it, if you can inform of ye reasons (for what reported here I’me sures false) of his be-ing discussed ye kings service, youll oblige me I abound daily in new seeds, but for want of a gardener & necassary convieniences (wch one woud think kindness be wanting here) shall give but a bad acct, of them. I’me sorry I have been at ye trouble & excuse of pro-curing of them but I shall tell you more of this
[fol. 308v]
wn I have ye hon. to see you, wch I hope will not be long, unless my Lady worries ter persists resolute to break ye match. I am Sr
yr most obliged humble servy
WSherard
Badmington
March 1- 1701
I expect every day a collection of plants from Paris for his Grace wn they come his greace will write to you (or order me) about them.
Pray here you meet ye Pliny de Monst Pinet du Norray & [?] I desire to know ye price of ye Transactions, unbound & bound Ime desir’d also to inform my self of a speci-fique Dr G. Hawey has for a consumption is there any such think as I remember he has writ a book in English about it.
Read more- Letter 0737
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |