Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Richardson to Hans Sloane – May 23, 1702
Item info
Date: May 23, 1702
Author: Richard Richardson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 347-348
Original Page
Transcription
Richardson sends a box of fossils. They are to be picked up at the White Horse Inn in Cripplegate. He discusses a disagreement he had with Dr Woodward, who felt that he did not get enough time with the coal plants before they were sent to Sloane. Richardson notes the names of some of the flowers, which include: ‘Carduns… Jacea… [and] Ficoides Knife’.
Richardson was a physician and botanist who traveled widely in England, Wales, and Scotland in search of rare specimens. He corresponded and exchanged plants with many well-known botanists and naturalists (W. P. Courtney, Richardson, Richard (16631741), rev. Peter Davis, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23576, accessed 31 May 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Beaumont to Hans Sloane – May 14, 1702
Item info
Date: May 14, 1702
Author: John Beaumont
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: f. 343
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Language
English
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Collections, Trade or Commodities
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Subjects
Fossils, Insects, Microscopes, Plants, Rocks, Shells, Specimens, Telescopes
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Date (as written)
May 14, 1702
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Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
Bristol
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Others mentioned
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Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
Beaumont describes the contents of Mr Cole’s collection: rocks, sea shells, insects, plants, fossils, many microscopes, and a telescope. The collection has been valued at £150.
John Beaumont was a natural philosopher, geologist, translator, and writer who contributed specimens to the Royal Society’s collection (Scott Mandelbrote, Beaumont, John (c.16401731), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Sept 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1876, accessed 1 Sept 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Alexander Stuart to Hans Sloane – February 28, 1701/02
Item info
Date: February 28, 1701/02
Author: Alexander Stuart
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 306-307
Original Page
Transcription
Stuart thanks Sloane for his letter and for sending Bellini’s ‘Opuscula’, which goes beyond the scope of Stuart’s original request.
Stuart was a physician and natural philosopher. He served as a ship’s surgeon from 1701-1707 and corresponded with Sloane while at sea, sending him natural history specimens. Stuart contributed articles to the Philosophical Transactions from the 1720s, mostly on physiology (Anita Guerrini, Stuart, Alexander (1673?1742), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47081, accessed 3 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos to Hans Sloane – Nov 1734
Item info
Date: Nov 1734
Author: James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4053
Folio: f. 316
Original Page
Transcription
Brydges writes to Sloane asking for his favour, if Sloane knows anyone who is a good operator in mines and extracting metal out of Earths as he has had some Earth samples sent to him.
James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos (1674-1744) was a politician, patron of the arts, and, like Sloane, on the Board of Governors of the Foundling Hospital. (Joan Johnson, Brydges, James, first duke of Chandos (16741744), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Sept 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3806, accessed 30 Aug 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Alexander Stuart to Hans Sloane – February 16, 1701/02
Item info
Date: February 16, 1701/02
Author: Alexander Stuart
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: f. 305
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 305]
Febry 16th/ 1701/2.
From on board the London at anchors in the Hope
Much Honoured Sir,
Being just now got on board I though it my duety to let you know, and to give you my humble thanks for your extraordinary kindenesses towards me on all occasions but more particularly the last: I cannot also omitt to thank you for those books you pleased to allow me which encouraged me to ask you one more viz Bellini’s opuscula which I could not find after inquiry at most book seller shops in London, the prise is about four shillings, which Mr Stuart Chymist will readily pay if by a penny post letter youd please to inform him where he may find it. I’ve desired him to send it to capt Mathews’s hovel door to the White Horse in Broadstreet, if by any means he can find it. I found the othr volume de Urinis et pulsibus and most othr books I designd to take, along with me. Moan hime and begg your excuse for this presumption, the principal
design of this letter being to acknowledge [your] self. Much Honoured Sir Your most humble and Obliged servt Alexander Stuart
Stuart was a physician and natural philosopher. He served as a ship’s surgeon from 1701-1707 and corresponded with Sloane while at sea, sending him natural history specimens. Stuart contributed articles to the Philosophical Transactions from the 1720s, mostly on physiology (Anita Guerrini, Stuart, Alexander (1673?1742), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47081, accessed 3 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton to Hans Sloane – August 14, 1726
Item info
Date: August 14, 1726
Author: Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 185
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 185]
Paris August ye 3d/14 1726
Sir
I beg ye favour of you to give your selfe ye trouble to goe & see my son at kensington, and to let me know your Opinion of his health, since altho i hear that he is pretty well yett he continues very full of a Rash, that he has had a considerable time; but you will take no notice to Mrs Lombard; of my having wrote to you, I am wth ye greatest regard imaginable
Sir
yr most obedient & most
humble servant
HWalpole
Horatio Walpole was a politician, diplomat, and younger brother of Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He worked closely with his brother and represented several constituencies throughout his career as an MP including Great Yarmouth and Norwich (Philip Woodfine, Walpole, Horatio , first Baron Walpole of Wolterton (16781757), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2011 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28595, accessed 8 Aug 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Abraham Hill to Hans Sloane – August 26, 1697
Item info
Date: August 26, 1697
Author: Abraham Hill
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: f. 345
Original Page
Transcription
Hill informs Sloane the next Royal Society meeting is on September 2 ‘at the usual place’.
Abraham Hill (bap. 1635 d.1722) was Secretary to the Royal Society. He managed its correspondence (Lotte Mulligan, ‘Hill, Abraham (bap. 1635, d. 1722)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13265, accessed 9 July 2015]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Robert Cotton, 5th Baronet to Hans Sloane – 1694
Item info
Date: 1694
Author: Robert Cotton, 5th Baronet
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: ff. 181-182
Original Page
Transcription
Cotton tells Sloane of the danger French forces pose to Jamaica. The island’s ministers were planning on using troops to guard plantations should the French fleet attack. Cotton thanks Sloane for all he has done and asks to be informed of anything noteworthy.
Sir Robert Cotton, 5th Baronet (1669-1749) was a Jacobite and involved in the 1715 rebellion. He lived in exile in France before returning to England (Stuart Handley, ‘Cotton, Sir Robert Bruce, first baronet (1571–1631)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2011 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6425, accessed 23 July 2014]; Sir Robert Cotton, fifth baronet (1669–1749): doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/6424).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Francis Bernard to Hans Sloane – June 7, 1697
Item info
Date: June 7, 1697
Author: Francis Bernard
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: ff. 320-321
Original Page
Transcription
Bernard forgot to ask if Sloane knew about ‘Bellilingon’ when they last met. This ‘Medicina Curiosa… is made from what is The Embryo of Corall’. Bernard could not find it mentioned in any of his books.
Francis Bernard (bap. 1628, d. 1698) was an apothecary and physician. He worked at St Bartholomew’s Hospital from 1661 and was noted for his labours during the great plague of 1665. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1680. Bernard had a large library with books in Greek, Latin, French, and Italian (Juanita Burnby, ‘Bernard, Francis (bap. 1628, d. 1698)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/2241, accessed 23 July 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Richardson to Hans Sloane – October 23, 1729
Item info
Date: October 23, 1729
Author: Richard Richardson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: ff. 218-219
Original Page
Transcription
Since his return from London Richardson has encountered nothing of interest in natural history. He is not healthy enough to travel far from home. He sends a small box of fossils, samples of a particular type of diamond, and limestone rocks. Richardson describes the specimens in some detail. Thomas Knowlton, Lord Burlington’s gardener, told him there are thousands of ‘stagnales’ at a large lake ‘nigh Beverly Yorkeshire’.
Richardson was a physician and botanist who traveled widely in England, Wales, and Scotland in search of rare specimens. He corresponded and exchanged plants with many well-known botanists and naturalists (W. P. Courtney, Richardson, Richard (16631741), rev. Peter Davis, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23576, accessed 31 May 2011]).