Welcome to The Sloane Letters Project
A pilot of this project, Sir Hans Sloane’s Correspondence Online, was first launched at the University of Saskatchewan in 2010 to coincide with the 350th anniversary of Sir Hans Sloane’s birth. The project was renamed The Sloane Letters Project when it moved to this site in 2016.
The correspondence of Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) consists of thirty-eight volumes held at the British Library, London: MSS 4036-4069, 4075-4078. The letters are a rich source of information about topics such as scientific discourse, collections of antiquities, curiosities and books, patients’ illnesses, medical treatments and family history. Most of the letters were addressed to Sloane, but a few volumes were addressed to others (MSS 4063-4067) or written by Sloane (MSS 4068-4069).
So far, we have entered descriptions and metadata for Sloane MSS 4036-4053 and 4075, as well as several letters from each of the following: Sloane MSS 4054-4055, 4066, 4068-4069 and 4076. Several of these entries also include transcriptions. Further entries and transcriptions are being made available gradually.
Please, explore the website and database. You can search through the letters, learn about Sir Hans Sloane or the letters written to him, and peruse blog posts about interesting letters!
Random Letter
Author:Recipient:
[fol. 177]
North Bierley nigh Bradford June 11 706
Dear Sr
We received your letter of directions for Sr John Kaye & since I recived your second he has persud your method (Scarification only excepted) which he is very much evoscto misleade there of [?] have been apply’d to the places you appoynted which have made very considerable dischar=hes but we have had trouble enough to keepe the places from metifying but now they looke pretty wel he makes water sometimes in good quantity & has found ad: :vantage by the medcins you orderd him for that [?] but I find not with standing our last endeavours the dis: temper grows upon him. vomits of oxymel sciht more orderd him sometime nyue or the best expediant to re: :leine his Asthma & were repeated nut he fainted several times though the medcine wrought gently mongh & I feared once that he would [?] have recoverd that fowad of spirits which it brought upon him. he is pretty calm yels good nights & though his swelling increase tey I beleive may continue some months;
I am veey much obligen to you for the Books in Naturel History you design me, I am till picking up some small matters in that way as I meet with them & shoud be glad to male a further improvement of my small collection. if any things of this kind come bought to you with which you are already plentifully supplyd, they will be welcome here & shall gratefully repay any expence you are at about them,
If anything of this country affords wil be acceptable to you I should be very glad to serve you, you may sends hither every week from the Whitehorse in Cripplegate by the Bradfors Carier Mr Kaye & Dr Johnston I am in service to you with
your obd. servant
Ric: Richardson
Read more- Letter 1054
Latest Statistics
| Pages digitised | |
| 4,545 | Document summaries |
| Documents transcribed | |
| People | |
| 1,527 | Medical Cases |
| Places |