Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Jean Théophile Desaguliers to Unknown – January 15, 1728/29
Item info
Date: January 15, 1728/29
Author: Jean Théophile Desaguliers
Recipient: Unknown
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: f. 40
Original Page
Transcription
Desaguliers was to wait on Sloane to tell him something, but became ill and could not make it. He asks the carrier to ‘settle my last Years salary in the next Council, which us’d to be done generally at the meeting of the Society after the Vacation, tho now the Death of the Treasurer hinder’d it.’ Desaguliers is having financial troubles and needs the money. The carrier is also to relay a message ‘I told you by word of mouth’.
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]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Richardson to Hans Sloane – March 16, 1728/29
Item info
Date: March 16, 1728/29
Author: Richard Richardson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: ff. 65-66
Original Page
Transcription
Richardson discusses ornithology and his collection of bird specimens.
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 -
Robert Ainsworth to Hans Sloane – April 13, 1729
Item info
Date: April 13, 1729
Author: Robert Ainsworth
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: f. 98
Original Page
Transcription
Robert Ainsworth (1660-1743) was a lexicographer and schoolmaster. He published several works on education (R. D. Smith, ‘Ainsworth, Robert (1660–1743)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/241, accessed 13 Aug 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Bradley to Hans Sloane – July 3, 1727
Item info
Date: July 3, 1727
Author: Richard Bradley
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 321
Original Page
Transcription
A book Bradley wrote ‘some years ago’ has finally been published by the bookseller. He sends a copy for Sloane and hopes it is well received. Bradley asks if he can borrow the Memoires de l’Academie for 1716 for a few days.
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 -
George Cheyne to Hans Sloane – May 28, 1703
Item info
Date: May 28, 1703
Author: George Cheyne
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: f. 135
Original Page
Transcription
Cheyne gives Sloane Craig’s ‘Mathematical Paper’ for the Philosophical Transactions. He stresses that it must be printed precisely as ordered. Cheyne asks Sloane to allow nothing to be printed against him or his book without forewarning.
George Cheyne was a physician and published many books on philosophical and health-related topics. He promoted taking the waters at Bath and his popular treatise ‘An Essay of Health and Long Life’ (1724) served as a guide to good living. He suffered from extreme obesity, at one point weighing roughly 448 pounds (Anita Guerrini, Cheyne, George (1671/21743), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5258, accessed 5 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Beaumont to Hans Sloane – July 13, 1730
Item info
Date: July 13, 1730
Author: John Beaumont
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4051
Folio: ff. 70-71
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 70] Sr I have sent yo a smal present for yr great favours & wish I could tell where ye stone was found but it came to my hand accidentally so yt I know it not my eyes are troubld wth a hot & sharp humor & are scald up in ye night time. if yo please to prescribe what medicine yo think proper for it yo will very much oblige Sr your very humble servant John Beaumont July ye 13 1730
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 -
Samuel Newton to Hans Sloane – May 25, 1708
Item info
Date: May 25, 1708
Author: Samuel Newton
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: f. 147
Original Page
Transcription
Samuel Newton (bap. 1629, d. 1718) was a politician and diarist (Paul D. Halliday, ‘Newton, Samuel (bap. 1629, d. 1718)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20067, accessed 8 July 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Flamsteed to Hans Sloane – November 28, 1694
Item info
Date: November 28, 1694
Author: John Flamsteed
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: ff. 195-196
Original Page
Transcription
Flamsteed writes that Dr Wallis, Dr Gregory, and Mr Rook have reviewed Mr Casmell’s paper on magnetism and approved it. Mr Newton thanked Flamsteed for sending a copy of the paper and said it ‘deserves to be printed’. He hopes to travel to London soon, as he is feeling better.
Flamsteed was an astronomer, had a crucial role in the founding the of the Royal Observatory, and participated in academic debates relating to astronomy (Frances Willmoth, Flamsteed, John (16461719), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9669, accessed 21 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Chamberlayne to Hans Sloane – December 17, 1702
Item info
Date: December 17, 1702
Author: John Chamberlayne
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: f. 51
Original Page
Transcription
Chamberlayne has received a letter from Leeuwenhoek and is forwards the translation to Sloane. He asks again for Sloane to return Colonel Dudley’s letters if the Royal Society is not going to print them.
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 -
William Cockburn to Hans Sloane – January 30, 1693/94
Item info
Date: January 30, 1693/94
Author: William Cockburn
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: f. 159
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 159] Sir I was to have waited on you in order of visiting befor my examination for an Interlicentiate W Cockburn London Jan: 30th 1693/4
William Cockburn was a physician who wrote works on the diseases of seamen and published in the Philosophical Transactions. He had a large medical practice and claimed to have a secret remedy for dysentery (Charles Creighton, Cockburn, William (16691739), rev. Anita Guerrini, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5777, accessed 5 July 2013]).