Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henry Hare, 2nd Baron Coleraine to Hans Sloane – January 18, 1703/04
Item info
Date: January 18, 1703/04
Author: Henry Hare, 2nd Baron Coleraine
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 234-235
Original Page
Transcription
Sloane’s last letter has raised Hare’s hopes for a catalogue of medals. He asks that a copy is transcribed and sent to him. At the very least, he would appreciate ‘the Particulars of yor Consulars’.
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 -
David Gregory to Hans Sloane – July 5, 1703
Item info
Date: July 5, 1703
Author: David Gregory
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 159-160
Original Page
Transcription
Gregory discusses advances in astronomy from Hipparchus and Pliny to Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. He points out that some stars are disappearing and reappearing, as seen on star maps through time. Gregory details the Chinese method of star notation. He his hopes that members of the Royal Society observed the recent sun spots.
Gregory was a mathematician and astronomer who published the first astronomy textbook to integrate Newton’s gravitational theory (Anita Guerrini, Gregory, David (16591708), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/11456, accessed 24 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Chamberlayne to Hans Sloane – June 26, 1703
Item info
Date: June 26, 1703
Author: John Chamberlayne
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 155-156
Original Page
Transcription
Chamberlayne writes on behalf of Mr Shaw, a barrister who wishes to become a member of the Royal Society. He will try to be at the next meeting to remind Sloane to put Shaw forward as a candidate. He inquires about translation of Sloane’s ‘Collection of Travels’.
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 (1668/91723), 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 -
William Burnet to Hans Sloane – March 23, 1727
Item info
Date: March 23, 1727
Author: William Burnet
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 269-270
Original Page
Transcription
Burnet’s physician encouraged him to contact Sloane for medical advice.
William Burnet (1688-1729) was a colonial governor and son of Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury. He served in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire (Mary Lou Lustig, ‘Burnet, William (1688–1729)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4070, accessed 10 June 2015]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos to Hans Sloane – March 26, 1730
Item info
Date: March 26, 1730
Author: James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4051
Folio: f. 7
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 7] March 26th 1730 Sr The Bearer hereof is Seeheuysen the Cabinet maker, whom I desire you will be so good to allow to see your Machine for holding Books, and I shall be much obliged to you if you’l give him leave to take a View of the inside work by which means he will do better able to make such another. Your favour herein shall be thankfully acknowledged and I remain Your most faithfull Humble servt Chandos Sir Hans Sloane
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 -
Edmond Halley to Hans Sloane – July 1, 1727
Item info
Date: July 1, 1727
Author: Edmond Halley
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 317-318
Original Page
Transcription
Halley was surprised to receive a summons ‘to attend you at a Councill on Tuesday next’. He is not sure when the meeting is to take place and will stop by ‘according to your first designation’.
Edmond Halley left Oxford without an undergraduate degree to travel the world, giving him the opportunity to study astronomy on the spot. Upon returning to England he had a prestigious career and collaborated with Sir Isaac Newton, entered the public service, served as a professor at Oxford, and was appointed Astronomer Royal in 1721 (Alan Cook, “Halley, Edmond (1656-1742)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12011, accessed 1 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Robert Walpole to Hans Sloane – June 9, 1729
Item info
Date: June 9, 1729
Author: Robert Walpole
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: f. 133
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 133] Chelsea the 9 June 1729. Sr I have heard a very character of Mr Ephraim Chambers & of his Dictionary of Arts & Sciences in 2 Vol. in folio which has mett with great applause in foreign Countrys as well as here. The Ingenious Author thereof has desired me to recommend him to you & to request that you would use your Interest with your friends in the City that he may succeed Mr Tooke as Mathematicall Professor of Gresham Coll. What service you please to do him upon this request of myne shall be regarded as a particular Act of frienshp. I am yr most obedient Humble servt RWalpole To Sir Hans Sloane Bart.
Sir Robert Walpole, later the 1st Earl of Orford, was a politician and the first prime minister of Great Britain (Stephen Taylor, Walpole, Robert, first earl of Orford (16761745), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28601, accessed 18 Aug 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
William Walsh to Hans Sloane – May 26, 1703
Item info
Date: May 26, 1703
Author: William Walsh
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 133-134
Original Page
Transcription
Walsh writes on behalf of the Duke of Shewsbury, who is in Rome and interested in procuring Latin translations of the Philosophical Transactions. He cannot find any at the booksellers so he asks for Sloane’s guidance.
William Walsh was a poet and Tory MP. He represented Worcestershire from 1698 and was reelected in 1701. In 1705 he was elected in Richmond, Yorkshire. He never married and published poetic works throughout his life (James Sambrook, Walsh, William (bap. 1662, d. 1708), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2005 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28620, accessed 5 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Bradley to Hans Sloane – September 29, 1727
Item info
Date: September 29, 1727
Author: Richard Bradley
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4049
Folio: ff. 38-39
Original Page
Transcription
Bradley’s paper was published thanks to Sloane having purchased stamps for him. He is looking for more booksellers to carry his paper. Du Bois helped Bradley with the paper. Bradley plans on settling his debts, which he believes to be ‘one hundred pounds’. He hopes that a ‘Publick Physic Garden’ will be founded in Cambridge and details how such a garden would benefit the university and himself.
Richard Bradley (1688?-1732) was a scientific author, Fellow of the Royal Society, and Professor of Botany at Cambridge (Frank N. Egerton, “Bradley, Richard (1688?-1732)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2005 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3189, accessed 10 Nov 2012]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Jean Théophile Desaguliers to Hans Sloane – December 4, 1727
Item info
Date: December 4, 1727
Author: Jean Théophile Desaguliers
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4049
Folio: f. 68
Original Page
Transcription
Desaguliers is to perform experiments at the Royal Society’s next meeting, but has to cancel after falling ill. He promises to follow through on the experiments when he has recovered.
Desaguliers was the son of French Huguenots who quit France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685). He was a natural philosopher and engineer, became Sir Isaac Newton’s pupil, was a proponent of Newtonianism, and performed lectures and experiments at the Royal Society (Patricia Fara, Desaguliers, John Theophilus (16831744), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7539, accessed 12 July 2013]).