Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Thomas Henshaw to Hans Sloane – February 22, 1690/1
Item info
Date: February 22, 1690/1
Author: Thomas Henshaw
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 138-139
Original Page
Transcription
Henshaw reminds Sloane of the promise he made to provide Henshaw with melon and Jamaican gourd seeds, as it is sowing season. He provides Sloane with mailing instructions.
Henshaw was an alchemist who published in the Philosophical Transactions and translated the work of others (Jennifer Speake, Henshaw, Thomas (16181700), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12989, accessed 25 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Charles Leigh to Hans Sloane – February 9, 1701
Item info
Date: February 9, 1701
Author: Charles Leigh
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 132-133
Original Page
Transcription
Leigh sends a collection of petrified plants. He advises Sloane to keep them from the air.
Leigh was a physician and naturalist. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1685 (C. W. Sutton, Leigh, Charles (16621701?), rev. Michael Bevan, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2010 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16377, accessed 25 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
George Stepney to Hans Sloane – February 3, 1701
Item info
Date: February 3, 1701
Author: George Stepney
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 130-131
Original Page
Transcription
Stepney writes that upon leaving Berlin he was given Christopher Heinrich’s book, which he assumes was meant to be presented to the Royal Society. If this pleases the Royal Society Stepney encourages them to send a thank-you letter, which he will forward to Heinrich.
Stepney was a renowned diplomat and expert on all things German. He became a member of the Royal Society in 1697 (Linda Frey and Marsha Frey, Stepney, George (16631707), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26404, accessed 25 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Thomas Hyde to Hans Sloane – January 31, 1701
Item info
Date: January 31, 1701
Author: Thomas Hyde
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 128-129
Original Page
Transcription
Hyde returns the books Sloane donated to Oxford because they are duplicates of works already owned by the library. The package will arrive in London tomorrow. He acknowledges the receipt of 45 shillings.
Hyde was the librarian of the Bodleian Library from 1665 to 1701. He possessed excellent linguistic skills in eastern languages, especially ancient Persian and Arabic (P. J. Marshall, Hyde, Thomas (16361703), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14336, accessed 19 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
David Gregory to Hans Sloane – September 19, 1699
Item info
Date: September 19, 1699
Author: David Gregory
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: f. 334
Original Page
Transcription
Gregory offers his services to Sloane. He wants to publish a book of Plato’s writings. He has sent the latter to Sloane with the engravings he plans on printing with them.
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 -
Arthur Charlett to Hans Sloane – August 29, 1699
Item info
Date: August 29, 1699
Author: Arthur Charlett
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: ff. 324-325
Original Page
Transcription
Charlett thanks Sloane for his favours and discusses Grubbes’ books. He has enclosed an item designed by Drs Aldrich and Vallisneri.
Charlett was elected Master of University College at Oxford in 1692 and held that post until his death in 1722. Charlett used the mastership to gain influence, especially through persistent letter-writing to numerous correspondents, sharing the latest literary, political, and scholarly gossip (R. H. Darwall-Smith, Charlett, Arthur (16551722), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5158, accessed 18 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Ray to Hans Sloane – December 7, 1697
Item info
Date: December 7, 1697
Author: John Ray
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: f. 379
Original Page
Transcription
Ray informs Sloane that he has returned the two sets of plant samples. He wishes Sloane had sent him more, though. Ray discusses the ‘Typographical Errata’ in Sloane’s Catalogue, which he had asked Ray to proofread.
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 -
Samuel Dale to Hans Sloane – March 9, 1698
Item info
Date: March 9, 1698
Author: Samuel Dale
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: f. 37
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Language
English
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Curiosity Reports, Library, Philosophical Transactions, Scholarship, Scientific
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Subjects
Animals, Books, Botany, Fish, Manuscripts, Plants, Specimens
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Date (as written)
March 9, 1698
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Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
Braintree
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Others mentioned
Mr Smith Dr Marlow
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Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
Dale requests Sloane’s help in augmenting his Pharmacologia, after one Mr Smith professed his interest in reviewing it. Dale believes that no one could be as helpful as Sloane. He asks Sloane for an account of all relevant books that he might get Mr Smith to procure or, failing that, loan from his own library. Dale provides an extensive and specific list of the plants he will examine, which includes: ‘roots of camumar and seraping or salep, herbs of berigua & cassiny, malabas nut, bengala bean, berumdus berries, Russia & Mexico seeds & alumback wood and serpentine stones, molucca nuts, radix hiusig Ipepocoauha, Angula seeds, Virginiam nuts, maldira nut, Banella, lig. nephritium., Barbadoes seeds, and Blatto Bizantina. Interested in virtues: sago (omitted in first version). Also: cantharides to caroes’. Dale includes a short account of a large ‘Maldon’ eel caught by a fisherman.
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 -
Bernard Connor to Hans Sloane – August 17, 1698
Item info
Date: August 17, 1698
Author: Bernard Connor
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: ff. 109-110
Original Page
Transcription
Connor informs Sloane that he has entrusted the publishing of a History of Poland to Mr Savage. He simply does not have the time to oversee the publication of the book. Connor plans on visiting the Royal Society soon.
Bernard Connor (c. 1666-1698) was a physician and writer with an interest in Poland. His magnum opus was The History of Poland (1698). Connor was a friend of Hans Sloane (Gerald Stone, Connor , Bernard (c.16661698), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6086, accessed 19 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Charles Goodall to Hans Sloane – June 4, 1698
Item info
Date: June 4, 1698
Author: Charles Goodall
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4037
Folio: f. 80
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 80]
Good Sr Charter house June 4. 98
If business will permit, pray meet me this evening a
the 3 tunn tavern in Newgate street, betwixt 7 & 8 of
the clock. it being abt an affair, wch doth very much con
cern yr self, as well as
yr faithfull friend
Ch Goodall
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]).