Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Richardson to Hans Sloane – July 18, 1726
Item info
Date: July 18, 1726
Author: Richard Richardson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 180-181
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 180]
July the 18 1726 North Beirly
Honed Sr
On wednesday last I sent you a pott of moresame which I desire the favoure of your acceptance of the season has been very coole since they were sent therefore hope they wil come to yu in good order, which I should be glad to hear of[.]
I have nothing in nat: Hist: to put in the Box, a lingering fit of the gout which confined me nigh three months, has pretty much disabled me from taking much pains after those pleasant inquirys though I propose to take a journey to Oxford shortly, in order to setle my eldest son (for some time) in Breston nose College & if I find branling [?] agre:able to me. I thinke of visiting my friends in London once more & shall do my selfe the honoure of waiting upon yu in the first place
The Box was sent by Tho: Heptonstall a Bradford who Inns at the white horse Cripplegate from
your most obed: servat [sic]
Ric: Richardson
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 -
Jean Théophile Desaguliers to Hans Sloane – June 13, 1726
Item info
Date: June 13, 1726
Author: Jean Théophile Desaguliers
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 164-165
Original Page
Transcription
Desaguliers sends the bill for Levinus Vincent’s book, which Sloane purchased. He informs Sloane of a Frenchman travelling with the ‘Compe des Indes’ to collect shells. Desaguliers could think of no one better than Sloane to give advice to the man. He suggests that Sloane might enlarge his personal collection of shells if he helps.
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 -
Margaret Flamsteed to Hans Sloane – May 4, 1726
Item info
Date: May 4, 1726
Author: Margaret Flamsteed
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 147-148
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 147]
Sr
I have inclosed a Letter in
French as you commanded. I have not
transcribed it for fear of making Mistake
I return you thanks for this great
favour you have honoured me with
and I am with perfect respect
Sr
Your
Most humble servant
Margaret Flamsteed
Greenwich May
ye 4th 1726
Margaret Flamsteed was the widow of the Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed. They married in 1692. John 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 -
Daniel Turner to Hans Sloane – February 26, 1726
Item info
Date: February 26, 1726
Author: Daniel Turner
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 135
Original Page
Transcription
Turner wants to arrange a medical appointment for a relation of his.
Daniel Turner was admitted as a surgeon to the Barber-Surgeons’ Company of London in 1691. He participated in four dissections that were recorded and published in the Philosophical Transactions between 1693 and 1694. In 1711, after twenty years of practicing surgery, he was admitted as a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians. Turner published treatises on the nature and place of surgery in medicine throughout his career and engaged in debates on the treatment of syphilis (Philip K. Wilson, Turner, Daniel (16671741), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27844, accessed 15 Aug 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henrietta Howard to Hans Sloane – April 5, 1712
Item info
Date: April 5, 1712
Author: Henrietta Howard
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4043
Folio: f. 40
Original Page
Transcription
Howard asks Sloane to help her friend, Mr Grant, obtain a license to practice medicine.
Henrietta Howard (nee Hobart) married “Lord Suffolk’s third son from his first marriage” Charles Howard in 1706 (Matthew Kilburn, Howard , Henrietta, countess of Suffolk (c.16881767), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13904, accessed 13 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Morton to Hans Sloane – July 21, 1711
Item info
Date: July 21, 1711
Author: John Morton
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4042
Folio: ff. 325-326
Original Page
Transcription
Morton’s entire family has come down with smallpox. Mr Vandergucht engraved ‘the Natural Curiosities’ for him.
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]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Machin to Hans Sloane – November 24, 1729
Item info
Date: November 24, 1729
Author: John Machin
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: f. 238
Original Page
Transcription
Machin forwards a draft of a letter he is going to send to an engineer in France. It is based on what was discussed at the previous meeting. Machin ‘read over his [the engineer’s] book more carefully’ and determined the man is ‘slightly skilled in astronomy’. The man wants his discovery, an invention of some sort, sent to England for examination by the Royal Society and given to the King of Great Britain. Machin thinks this to be a pompous request.
John Machin (bap. 1686?, d. 1751) was an astronomer. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1710 and served as its Secretary between 1718 and 1747. Machin was on the Royal Society committee that mediated Newton and Leibnitz’s dispute over the invention of calculus. Some of his mathematical work was published in the Philosophical Transactions (Anita McConnell, ‘Machin, John (bap. 1686?, d. 1751)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/17533, accessed 19 Aug 2014]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Richardson to Hans Sloane – June 16, 1702
Item info
Date: June 16, 1702
Author: Richard Richardson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 353-354
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 353]
North Bierley June 16 702
Worthy Sir
I am glad to heare by your last that the designes were soe diverting to your Society, I hope longe agoe you got the coale plants & safe there are some 2 or 3 small ones which if you have time to examine them nicely you wil find the representations of seed upon them which is rare to be met with specimens of our same northern plants I am mounting for you I said with I knowe of any thing else that My country affords which I might find along with them that nigh & pound weight of stones voyded by urine in her then I years time by a person in Hallifax parish I have some of them by me that weigh nigh xxgr a piece & mr preistley in whose hands they now are told me there were much larger which he had disposed of, they are of very irregulare formes & the poor man voided of them dayly not with out very violent paine I wil save some of them for you to be sent with the plants this being soe unnaturall a case I could not omit it for a person of your curiosity & of any thing in naurall history occurr worthy of your observation I shall not be wanting in my comunications: & if any duplicats occurr to you in the regutation of your curiouse collection when you have time to regulate them any […] of naturell History obliged [?] to a [?] us […] ardson
[fol. 353 v]
Mr Bonivert drink with me this day, we drinke your health & he gives you his humble service
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 -
Henry Newton to Hans Sloane – July 2, 1709
Item info
Date: July 2, 1709
Author: Henry Newton
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4041
Folio: ff. 340-341
Original Page
Transcription
Newton thanks Sloane for his letter, the contents of which he communicated to Magalotti and Grandi. He shares his observations on some wheat found nearby.
Sir Henry Newton was a diplomat who worked extensively in the Italian states. He published several works in Latin while in Italy and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1709 (Stuart Handley, “Newton, Sir Henry (1650-1715)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20058, accessed 15 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Margaret Ray to Hans Sloane – November, 1709
Item info
Date: November, 1709
Author: Margaret Ray
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4042
Folio: ff. 69-70
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 69] When your kind and obliging letter came to my hand. I was sick in bed of a fever which continued with me for some time, but being now through the blessing of God pretty well recovered, I was not willing any longer to omitt returning you my most humble thanks for all the kindnesses I have received from you, and especially for the great respect you have now shewen to the memory of my dear Husband and I would willingly have done the same to my Lady Child and Madm Howland but not knowing where to direct to them I entreat the favour of you to present my humble thanks, as likewise to my Lord of London and the rest of the contributors, though unknown to me; As to the remaining Money which you mention if you please to pay it to the Reverend Mr Wm Stonesreet it will come safe to the hands of Sr Your most obliged humble Servant Margaret Ray Black Notley Nov ye 1709
Margaret Ray (nee Oakley) was the wife of John Ray, the naturalist and theologian (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 21 May 2011]).