Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
George Hickes to Hans Sloane – May 6, 1709
Item info
Date: May 6, 1709
Author: George Hickes
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 327-328
Original Page
Transcription
George Hickes (1642-1715) was a bishop of the nonjuring Church of England and Anglo-Saxon scholar (Theodor Harmsen, ‘Hickes, George (1642–1715)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13203, accessed 21 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Patrick Blair to Hans Sloane – May 9, 1709
Item info
Date: May 9, 1709
Author: Patrick Blair
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 321-322
Original Page
Transcription
Blair discusses his treatise on Elephants. He asks for Sloane’s recommendation and help in organizing its publication. Blair explains that he does not know when the ship will leave. He recommends the bearer, Charles White.
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 -
William Wotton to Hans Sloane – April 23, 1709
Item info
Date: April 23, 1709
Author: William Wotton
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 317-318
Original Page
Transcription
Wotton discusses the effort he has put into his work on Robert Boyle. He requests that he be allowed to keep the books he borrowed for a while longer.
Wotton was a child prodigy, having received his BA from Oxford at the age of nine. He mastered several languages and fields of inquiry and became a member of the Royal Society in 1687 as well as being ordained in 1689. He published many works on history, theology, culture, and politics and contributed to the Philosophical Transactions (David Stoker, Wotton, William (16661727), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2007 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30005, accessed 14 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
William Derham to Hans Sloane – April 15, 1709
Item info
Date: April 15, 1709
Author: William Derham
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 312-313
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 313]
Sr
My Wife being lately brought to bed, I am not able to enjoy
the pleasure, of attending the Society my self, & therefore have sent
you my Observations on Dr Scheuchzers &c Tables. His Originals shall at
a more convenient time be returned you, wth Dr Tillis also to be
kept among the Papers of the Society if you think fit. I hope what
I have done may in some measure answer your expectation, &
the Societies request. If it doth not, be pleased to give me your Or-
ders accordingly. When I receive yours & the other accounts promis-
ed me about the effects of the late Frost, you shall (God sparing
life) have the Italian accounts of the Frost, wth Mr Molyneuxes
last years weather &c at Dublin. Four Tortoises for Trans
actions or not I am
Sr
Your much obliged most humble servant.
Wm Derham
Upminster
Apri: 15 1709
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 (1657-1735)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7528, accessed 7 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Charles Preston to Hans Sloane – April 14, 1709
Item info
Date: April 14, 1709
Author: Charles Preston
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 310-311
Original Page
Transcription
Preston writes about Tournefort’s death. He requests back issues of the Philosophical Transactions.
Preston was a physician and botanist who established a lengthy correspondence with Sloane, exchanging plants, seeds, books and information. His main interest was in botany, and was well-known by his contemporaries for his botanical knowledge (Anita Guerrini, Preston, Charles (16601711), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47084, accessed 1 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
William Derham to Hans Sloane – March 29, 1709
Item info
Date: March 29, 1709
Author: William Derham
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 308-309
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 309]
Sr Upminster Mar. 29 1709
Just as I had finished my Observations upon Dr
Scheuchzers Tables of the Weather &, I seasonally recd
these two enclosed Lrs from Florence wch relating to the Society
as well as my self, I think it my duty to send them
to you. You will find by ye copy of Dr Newtons Lr, that
the Weights & Measures of Florence wch Dr Tilly saith
he hath sent me, are not yet arrived in England
I doubt not but when they do, they will be very ac-
ceptable to the Society to settle the matter, especi-
ally wth relation to their Weight, wch Sr Honas Moor
makes very different from what Mr Greaves doth.
Sr Jonas making the Florence-pound to ye Engl. To be
as 123 to 100, & Mr Greaves making it less than the En-
glish, viz only as 0.9177 to 100.
When I have finished what I shall take notice of
concerning Dr Scheuchzers, the Pisa Rain, &, I written
out my Remarks fair, I will take care to send
them to the Society: but in the mean time I should
be glad to be informed of some of the most con-
siderable effects observed in England from the late
Frost, if the Society hath recd any accounts thereof
particularly if granted any of the Society live near
Cashalton in Surrey, I beg the favour of them to
let me know by ye P. Post whether the Lemon & Orange
trees at Bedington are killed, & what age they are
I intended to have been long since in London, but the weather hath
been so bad yt I could not be so happy to visit Gresham Coll. & the late
great Rains have made such Land-Floods yt two of our Upminster
Bridges are broken down wth it, & I hear some others also, yt I now
Dare hardly adventure. I am
Sr Your much obliged humble servant
Wm Derham
My Wifes humble service.
I hope you have not been unmindfull of
chosing Dr Newton into the Society, or yt if be not
yet done, I beg the favour of you to speed it as much as can be, yt I may
send him word of it when I speedily answer his Lrs.
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 (1657-1735)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7528, accessed 7 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Daniel Malthus to Hans Sloane – February 25, 1709
Item info
Date: February 25, 1709
Author: Daniel Malthus
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 302-303
Original Page
Transcription
Warth, Shaw, and Homey have been put in charge of Hame’s person and estate. They request Sloane’s advice regarding his care.
Daniel Malthus (1651-1717) served as apothecary to Queen Anne and George I and was the great-grandfather of the political economist and demographer Thomas Robert Malthus (J. M. Pullen, ‘Malthus, (Thomas) Robert (1766–1834)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/17902, accessed 7 July 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Robert Sibbald to Hans Sloane – February 23, 1709
Item info
Date: February 23, 1709
Author: Robert Sibbald
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 300-301
Original Page
Transcription
Sibbald sends several copies of his book proposal. He hopes the support of the Royal Society and others will make its publication possible.
Sibbald was a physician and a geographer. He was physician to James VII (Charles W. J. Withers, Sibbald, Sir Robert (16411722), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25496, accessed 19 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Robert Sibbald to Hans Sloane – February 22, 1709
Item info
Date: February 22, 1709
Author: Robert Sibbald
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 298-299
Original Page
Transcription
Sibbald discusses the costs of producing his new book and the subscription model he will use to fund it.
Sibbald was a physician and a geographer. He was physician to James VII (Charles W. J. Withers, Sibbald, Sir Robert (16411722), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25496, accessed 19 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Robert Sibbald to Hans Sloane – February 20, 1709
Item info
Date: February 20, 1709
Author: Robert Sibbald
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: f. 292
Original Page
Transcription
Sibbald discusses the plates that were engraved for his book. He asks that Sloane present a book proposal to the Royal Society.
Sibbald was a physician and a geographer. He was physician to James VII (Charles W. J. Withers, Sibbald, Sir Robert (16411722), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25496, accessed 19 June 2013]).