Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henry Fletcher to Hans Sloane – July 19, 1729
Item info
Date: July 19, 1729
Author: Henry Fletcher
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: ff. 156-157
Original Page
Transcription
Fletcher was the Flemish engraver Michael van der Gucht’s apprentice for seven years. Jan Kip, claims Fletcher, had the greatest influence on engraving in England at the time. Others of note were Vertue, Plat, and Garret van der Gucht. Toms and Harris worked in the style of Kip. Fletcher wanted to improve his art, so he asked his uncle ‘John James Esquire, of Greenwich’ for support. The latter recommended Fletcher to Sir James Thornhill. He studied at ‘ye Academy’, but it was difficult to pay tuition. Fletcher went on to practice his etching with Garret van der Gucht. It was ‘from these methods [that I] have produced my large print of Bathsheba’. The latter pleased his teachers. Fletcher asks for Sloane’s support, for engraving can sometimes be a tedious and difficult profession.
Henry Fletcher (fl. 1715-1744) was an engraver. He worked in London (Timothy Clayton, ‘Fletcher, Henry (fl. 1715–1744)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9728, accessed 14 Aug 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henry Hare, 2nd Baron Coleraine to Hans Sloane – November 23, 1703
Item info
Date: November 23, 1703
Author: Henry Hare, 2nd Baron Coleraine
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 213-214
Original Page
Transcription
Hare supposes that Sloane has by this time taken an account of W.C.’s museum. He asks if Sloane found anything he mentioned and whether there are any duplicate medals or curiosities.
Henry Hare, 2nd Baron Coleraine, was MP for Old Sarum and although his privy chamber office ended with the death of Charles II, he held local offices in Middlesex through the 1680s and 90s. In 1705, he published ‘The History and antiquities of the town and church of Tottenham’ (Nicholas Doggett, Hare, Henry, second Baron Coleraine (bap. 1636, d. 1708), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12299, accessed 8 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Ray to Hans Sloane – November 17, 1703
Item info
Date: November 17, 1703
Author: John Ray
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 210-211
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Language
English
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Collections, Medical, Scholarship, Scientific, Trade or Commodities
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Subjects
Badminton, China, Gifts, History of Insects, India, Plants, Specimens, Sugar
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Date (as written)
November 17, 1703
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Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
Black Notley
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Others mentioned
Dr Robinson
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Patients mentioned
John Ray
Original Page
Transcription
Ray thanks Sloane for the gift of sugar. He is excited to see Sloane’s rare plant specimens, but does not know enough about exotic plants to correct any mistakes Sloane may have made.
Ray was a theologian and naturalist who collected and catalogued his botanical findings in the much lauded Historia plantarum (1686, 1688) (Scott Mandelbrote, Ray , John (16271705), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2005 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23203, accessed 18 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Hodgson to Hans Sloane – September 10, 1729
Item info
Date: September 10, 1729
Author: James Hodgson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: f. 192
Original Page
Transcription
Hodgson’s son is the bearer. He requests that Sloane provide a recommendation for the young man.
James Hodgson (bap. 1678?, d. 1755) was a mathematician. He was an assistant to the astronomer John Flamsteed from 1695 and the cousin of the architect Sir Christopher Wren (Frances Willmoth, ‘Hodgson, James (bap. 1678?, d. 1755)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13437, accessed 15 Aug 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Keill to Hans Sloane – August 30, 1703
Item info
Date: August 30, 1703
Author: James Keill
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 180-181
Original Page
Transcription
Keill did not formally attend medical school, but through the patronage of Sloane he obtained the degree of MD from Cambridge. Sloane helped Keill enter into medical practice in Northampton (Anita Guerrini, Keill, James (16731719), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/15255, accessed 2 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Chamberlayne to Hans Sloane – October 4, 1708
Item info
Date: October 4, 1708
Author: John Chamberlayne
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: f. 215
Original Page
Transcription
Chamberlayne encloses a letter from Dr Leeuwenhoek, which he translated. He did his best, but Leeuwenhoek writes in an extremely ungrammatical fashion.
John Chamberlayne was a translator and editor specializing in modern languages which he studied at the University of Leiden. He translated works on many topics, was a fellow of the Royal Society, and published three works in the Philsophical Transactions (Reavley Gair, “Chamberlayne, John (1668/9-1723)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5060, accessed 30 May 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Jane Blower to Hans Sloane – May 16, 1727
Item info
Date: May 16, 1727
Author: Jane Blower
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 297-298
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 297]
Sr I dont remember I ever had the honour to see you; tho many times I have heartily wish’d I could. Yet considering ye my Farther, Mr Ray had with you I presume to give you the trouble of these lines. And I hope you will accept my thanks for the many favours our family have Rec’d from you: which I think I am in gratitude bound to give you. My Mother is yet alive, & gives her most humble service to you: And we should be very glad to hear of your good health, Which I sincerely wish you. And should be proud if you wou’d honour me with a line or two from your most excellent hand. I am Mr Rays youngest daughter, & am married too ye Rev’d Mr Joshua Blower living in Bradwell near Braintree in Essex who also gives you his humble service though unknown. I am Sr Hans
Your Obliged humble
ser:t Jane Blower
Bradwell
May ye 16 1727.
Jane Blower (b. 1689) was the daughter of Reverend John Ray, the esteemed botanist and naturalist. John Ray had his daughters aid in the collection of insects during the 1690s. Jane married Joshua Blower, the Rector of Bradwell near Braintree (Scott Mandelbrote, Ray , John (16271705), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2005 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23203, accessed 22 Aug 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Rose Fuller to Hans Sloane – June 12/23, 1729
Item info
Date: June 12/23, 1729
Author: Rose Fuller
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: ff. 140-141
Original Page
Transcription
Fuller thanks Sloane for supporting his education, writing that he should have written sooner. He encloses some books. Fuller is in good health. He discusses how bark is used in Holland to treat ‘all Cronich distempers Scurvy Dropsy Gout &c’. Fuller is taking a botany course with Mr Van Royen, who replaced Dr Boerhaave. Van Royen follows John Ray’s method. Dr Albinus is his anatomy teacher. Fuller thinks Dr Boerhaave’s lectures are the best. Chemistry lectures have not yet begun.
Rose Fuller (1708-1777) was a politician, gun-founder and landowner. He was Sir Hans Sloane’s grandson. Fuller studied medicine at Cambridge from 1725 to 1728 and Leiden from 1729 to 1732 and went to Jamaica in 1733 to supervise the family estates. He served in the Jamaican assembly for some time before returning to England in 1755. Fuller was elected MP for Rye in 1768 (J. S. Hodgkinson, ‘Fuller family (per. c.1650–1803)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2005 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47494, accessed 14 Aug 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Daniel Malthus to Hans Sloane – May 28, 1713
Item info
Date: May 28, 1713
Author: Daniel Malthus
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4076
Folio: ff. 108-109
Original Page
Transcription
(f. 108)
Sr.
Dr. Lawenes and Dr. Arbuthnott
begg the favour of you to wait
Dr. Arbuthonotts Lodging in St. James’s
house at eleven a clock in the fore
=noon to morrow, I am
Sr. ye humble Servant
Dam’ of Malthey
May 28, 1713
Intact red seal. It is possible that this was a summons to discuss the Queen’s health, given that it specified him as a royal physician in the address and Malthus was the apothecary at Windsor Castle.
Daniel Malthus (1651-1717) served as apothecary to Queen Anne and George I and was the great-grandfather of the political economist and demographer Thomas Robert Malthus (J. M. Pullen, ‘Malthus, (Thomas) Robert (1766–1834)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/17902, accessed 7 July 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Martin Martin to Hans Sloane – July, 1703
Item info
Date: July, 1703
Author: Martin Martin
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 165-166
Original Page
Transcription
Martin explains that the printer will not have the book done before tomorrow. He encloses something else for Sloane to present at the upcoming meeting.
Martin studied medicine in Leiden and practiced as a doctor in Middlesex, England until his death in 1719 (Domhnall Uilleam Stibhart, Martin, Martin (d. 1718), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/18201, accessed 19 June 2013]).