Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Samuel Dale to Hans Sloane – September 10, 1707
Item info
Date: September 10, 1707
Author: Samuel Dale
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 20-21
Original Page
Transcription
Dale returns one of Sloane’s books. He insists that he had returned the others two years ago. He discusses the publishing of Ray’s works and papers and apologizes for the delays with Ray’s monument.
Samuel Dale was an apothecary, botanist, and physician who contributed several articles to the Philosophical Transactions. He was John Ray’s executor and good friend, and from Dale’s letters to Sloane we learn many details of Ray’s final moments (G. S. Boulger, Dale, Samuel (bap. 1659, d. 1739), rev. Juanita Burnby, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7016, accessed 5 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Samuel Dale to Hans Sloane – September 3, 1707
Item info
Date: September 3, 1707
Author: Samuel Dale
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 16-17
Original Page
Transcription
Dale sends an addendum to his last letter: Sloane MS 4041, f. 15. He provides shipping instructions for the venison, which is destined for those named in the letter.
Samuel Dale was an apothecary, botanist, and physician who contributed several articles to the Philosophical Transactions. He was John Ray’s executor and good friend, and from Dale’s letters to Sloane we learn many details of Ray’s final moments (G. S. Boulger, Dale, Samuel (bap. 1659, d. 1739), rev. Juanita Burnby, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7016, accessed 5 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Samuel Dale to Hans Sloane – September 3, 1707
Item info
Date: September 3, 1707
Author: Samuel Dale
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 14-15
Original Page
Transcription
Dale meant to visit and drop off the insects and fossils Sloane requested, but has been prevented from doing so. He sends some venison.
Samuel Dale was an apothecary, botanist, and physician who contributed several articles to the Philosophical Transactions. He was John Ray’s executor and good friend, and from Dale’s letters to Sloane we learn many details of Ray’s final moments (G. S. Boulger, Dale, Samuel (bap. 1659, d. 1739), rev. Juanita Burnby, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7016, accessed 5 July 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Godfrey Copley to Hans Sloane – September 3, 1707
Item info
Date: September 3, 1707
Author: Godfrey Copley
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 12-13
Original Page
Transcription
Copley describes the new bath he just had built, which he believes is unrivalled. It has room for 4 or 5 people and heats up very well.
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 -
Thomas Molyneux to Hans Sloane – August 9, 1707
Item info
Date: August 9, 1707
Author: Thomas Molyneux
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 10-11
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Language
English
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Patronage, Scholarship, Social
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Subjects
Books, Coins, Jamaica, Medals, Natural History, Numismatics, Recommendations
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Date (as written)
August 9, 1707
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Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
Dublin
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Others mentioned
Sir Andrew Fountaine Lord Pembroke
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Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
Molyneux thanks Sloane for recommending Sir Andrew Fontaine, an expert in medals and coins. They very quickly became friends. Molyneux is very happy to be working under Lord Pembroke. He asks for a copy of Sloane’s book.
Thomas Molyneux was a physician and natural philosopher who corresponded with Sloane, Edward Lhuyd, and John Locke (J. B. Lyons, Molyneux, Sir Thomas, first baronet (16611733), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Sept 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/18927, accessed 4 July 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Nicholaes Corneliszoon Witsen to Hans Sloane – August 2, 1707
Item info
Date: August 2, 1707
Author: Nicholaes Corneliszoon Witsen
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 6-7
Original Page
Transcription
Witsen thanks Sloane for the book, which he has read and enjoyed.
Nicholaes Corneliszoon Witsen (1641-1717) was a politician and collector. He was appointed for thirteen terms as Burgomaster of Amsterdam. He corresponded widely with Leibniz, several Jesuits, and the Royal Society, of which he was elected a fellow in 1689 (Benjamin Schmidt, ‘Witsen, Nicholaes Corneliszoon (1641–1717)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/68404, accessed 17 July 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Edward Lhwyd to Hans Sloane – July 26, 1707
Item info
Date: July 26, 1707
Author: Edward Lhwyd
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: f. 1
Original Page
Transcription
Lhwyd thanks Sloane for sending a copy of his ‘History of Jamaica’. He discusses his work on ancient Scottish, ‘the best remains of the old Celtic and Spanish.’ He asks Sloane to help him find subscribers.
Edward Lhwyd (1659/60-1709) was a naturalist and philologist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1708. Sir Hans Sloane described him as the best naturalist in Europe (Brynley F. Roberts, Lhuyd , Edward (1659/60?1709), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16633, accessed 26 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Arbuthnot to Hans Sloane – July 4, 1707
Item info
Date: July 4, 1707
Author: John Arbuthnot
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4040
Folio: f. 377
Original Page
Transcription
Arbuthnot thanks Sloane for the book, which he will read and return.
Arbuthnot was a physician and satirist most famous for his John Bull pamphlets which led to the character becoming a national symbol (Angus Ross, ‘Arbuthnot , John (bap. 1667, d. 1735)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/610, accessed 14 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Patrick Blair to Hans Sloane – June 29, 1707
Item info
Date: June 29, 1707
Author: Patrick Blair
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4040
Folio: f. 374
Original Page
Transcription
Blair thanks Sloane for his help, writing that he would have given up long ago if not for his encouragement. He will continue to work on his account of the elephant and is seeking subscriptions for it. He asks Sloane to hold the money paid to him to avoid any suspicion that he is trying to cheat subscribers.
Patrick Blair was a botanist and surgeon whose papers were published in the Transactions. In 1715 Blair joined the Jacobite rebellion as a battle surgeon but was captured and condemned to death. He was visited by Sloane in prison in the hopes the latter might secure a pardon. Sloane was successful and the pardon arrived shortly before Blair’s scheduled execution (Anita Guerrini, Blair, Patrick (c.16801728), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/2568, accessed 31 May 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Morton to Hans Sloane – October 7, 1706
Item info
Date: October 7, 1706
Author: John Morton
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4040
Folio: ff. 229-230
Original Page
Transcription
Morton asks if the latest Philosophical Transactions have been printed. He hopes Sloane corrected any errors that may have found their way into Morton’s letter.
John Morton was a naturalist who was in correspondence with Sloane from roughly 1703 to 1716. Morton contributed nearly one thousand specimens (fossils, shells, bones, teeth, minerals, rocks, man-made artifacts, etc.) to Sloane’s collection (Yolanda Foote, Morton, John (16711726), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19364, accessed 2 July 2013]).