Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Adam Buddle to Hans Sloane – July 18, 1699
Item info
Date: July 18, 1699
Author: Adam Buddle
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: ff. 302-303
Original Page
Transcription
Buddle was going to send the grass specimens, but he has to wait for Petiver to return them first. Buddle fears the specimens may have been sent to Tournefort in France for good. He has been to Braintree, sharing notes about grasses with Dale. He also saw Ray, but had no opportunity to confer with him as he was ‘wholly taken up’ with some queries sent by Petiver. The notes shall be left at the Cross-Keys in Grace-Church Street the following Tuesday. He has put them in the same order as Ray did in his synopsis, leaving room for additions, and he expects to have a complete collection of English grasses. Buddle asks Sloane to make sure nothing is missing. He asks Sloane to send him the shells.
Buddle was a botanist who collected information ont he flora of England throughout his life, bequeathing them to Sloane upon his death in 1715 (James Britten, Buddle, Adam (bap. 1662, d. 1715), rev. Janet Browne, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3883, accessed 19 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
William Sherard to Hans Sloane – November 27, 1699
Item info
Date: November 27, 1699
Author: William Sherard
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: ff. 355-356
Original Page
Transcription
Sherard informs Sloane that a date has been set for him to sail back to England. There is an auction which will last 3 months. He notes that the auctioneers ‘proceed with no method but skip from one sort to another as the buyers demand’. He thanks Sloane for the advice regarding his books. A number of bales are en route from various locations, including Geneva and Bordeaux. Sherard is looking forward to seeing Sloane again.
Sherard was a botanist and cataloguer. He worked for the Turkish Company at Smyrna where he collected botanical specimens and antiques (D. E. Allen, Sherard, William (16591728), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25355, accessed 24 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
William Sherard to Hans Sloane – October 7, 1699
Item info
Date: October 7, 1699
Author: William Sherard
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: ff. 340-341
Original Page
Transcription
Sherard writes of the publishing of natural historical works, scholarship, and the travels of natural historians.
Sherard was a botanist and cataloguer. He worked for the Turkish Company at Smyrna where he collected botanical specimens and antiques (D. E. Allen, Sherard, William (16591728), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25355, accessed 24 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Godfrey Copley to Hans Sloane – October 4, 1699
Item info
Date: October 4, 1699
Author: Godfrey Copley
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: f. 339
Original Page
Transcription
Copley asks Sloane, if he visits the Temple Coffeehouse, to ask if there is a letter waiting for him from Mr Smith, recently returned from France. He then recounts that he possessed two sheep which ‘should have been of the male kind & they have a penis that is of no use nor perforated but they have another hole more backward where their urine comes out, one of them is fatt & I shall kill him shortly’. These odd sheep ‘are not capable of Generation’ in Copley’s view. Sir Godfrey Copley was a politician and active member of the Royal Society. He was elected a Fellow of the latter in 1691 (C. I. McGrath, Copley, Sir Godfrey, second baronet (c.16531709), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6269, accessed 24 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Lely to Hans Sloane – July 10, 1703
Item info
Date: July 10, 1703
Author: John Lely
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 161-162
Original Page
Transcription
Lely describes a bust whose ‘Nose was mutilated’. The body of the statue was not in good shape either, for Lely had ‘let it lye some time in the Water’. He believes it to be a genuine statue, as ‘the moderns’ could not imitate such great work. He thinks £10 is a fair price. If the nose were in better condition he could get £40.
John Lely (b. 1674) was the son of Sir Peter Lely, the portrait painter and art collector, and his common-law wife Ursula. John married the daughter of Sir John Knatchbull (Diana Dethloff, ‘Lely, Sir Peter (1618–1680)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16419, accessed 28 May 2015]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Locke to Hans Sloane – March 15, 1703/04
Item info
Date: March 15, 1703/04
Author: John Locke
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 261-270
Original Page
Transcription
Locke encloses the data he collected for his weather register. The register includes the date, temperature, barometric pressure, weather (rain, snow, frost, etc.), and his comments.
Locke was a philosopher, physician, and highly influential proponent of liberalism in England (J. R. Milton, Locke, John (16321704), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16885, accessed 24 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Cuninghame to James Petiver – January 4, 1709
Item info
Date: January 4, 1709
Author: James Cuninghame
Recipient: James Petiver
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: f. 266
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 266]
Dr Sloane
Mr James Pettiver
Kind Srs.
I having lately arrivd here
in the Ship Anna Capt. Nelly Comdr being now at a
considerable distances from ye said Ship, Im obligd at present
to send you an empty Letter contrary to my usual custom
for which shall endeavour to make you amends
being in expectation of overtaking this advice &
therefore shall not need to add further but desire
to be heartily remembred to all our worthy Freinds, &
to own myself to be wth all respect & since
Worthy Sirs
yr most obliged
&
most Humble servt
Cuninghame
Calcutta
Jan: 4th. 1708/9.
[Another hand]
Recd by Dr Sloan
Augt 1709
James Cuninghame (fl. 1698-1709) became a member of the Royal Society in 1699. He traveled the world as a trader and collected information, plant specimens, and curiosities until his death in 1709 (Gordon Goodwin, Cuninghame , James (fl. 16981709), rev. D. J. Mabberley, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Sept 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6922, accessed 24 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Charles Goodall to Hans Sloane – January 9, 1700
Item info
Date: January 9, 1700
Author: Charles Goodall
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: ff. 366-367
Original Page
Transcription
Goodall asks Sloane to come to his residence to talk about his health and other matters. He asks for the names of authors who wrote about ‘de morbis spirituu’.
Charles Goodall was a physician, academic, and member of the Royal College of Physicians, working for the latter on occasion (Harold J. Cook, Goodall, Charles (c.16421712), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10949, accessed 18 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Cuninghame to Hans Sloane – January 4, 1709
Item info
Date: January 4, 1709
Author: James Cuninghame
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: f. 266
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 266]
Dr Sloane
Mr James Pettiver
Kind Srs.
I having lately arrivd here
in the Ship Anna Capt. Nelly Comdr being now at a
considerable distances from ye said Ship, Im obligd at present
to send you an empty Letter contrary to my usual custom
for which shall endeavour to make you amends
being in expectation of overtaking this advice &
therefore shall not need to add further but desire
to be heartily remembred to all our worthy Freinds, &
to own myself to be wth all respect & since
Worthy Sirs
yr most obliged
&
most Humble servt
Cuninghame
Calcutta
Jan: 4th. 1708/9.
[Another hand]
Recd by Dr Sloan
Augt 1709
James Cuninghame (fl. 1698-1709) became a member of the Royal Society in 1699. He traveled the world as a trader and collected information, plant specimens, and curiosities until his death in 1709 (Gordon Goodwin, Cuninghame , James (fl. 16981709), rev. D. J. Mabberley, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Sept 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6922, accessed 24 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
William Derham to Hans Sloane – July 20, 1722
Item info
Date: July 20, 1722
Author: William Derham
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4046
Folio: ff. 271-272
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 272]
Upminster near Rumford
Jul: 20: 1722
Hond Sr
Mr Innys having engaged me to look
over Albins Table of Insects, & finding that
I can make some Improvements of them, I shall
want very much that kind assistance from
you, that I have had great experience of: &
that is in the Lending me Books for that
purpose. I have only Goedasting, Memfet & Ray
of Insects, & have written to Mr Innys for
Hoefnagel, Marian, Graffin, & What Mr Pe-
tiver published on that subject; I desired him
to apply himself to you for what he hath
not. Which favour I hope you will grant
him & me. All shall be carefully used, & very
faithfully returned before Michas; at wch time
I must go to Windsor for a long time. I have
collected out of Dr Hooks Papers enough for a
small Volume, but cant publish them for
want of the Papers in Dr Wilsons hands, many
of wch are parts of the same things wch I have,
& should publish, could they be completed. I a
little wonder yt Mr Blackwell should decide wt Dr Hook and
his Br Waller left. With my humble service to yr Lady and
Daughters. I am
Dear Sr Your most obliged & humble servt
Wm Derham
Derham was a Church of England clergyman and a natural philosopher, interested in nature, mathematics, and philosophy. He frequently requested medical advice from Sloane, and likely served as a physician to his family and parishioners (Marja Smolenaars, Derham, William (16571735), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7528, accessed 7 June 2011]).