SLOANE, SIR HANS, BART.
Arms.—Gu., a sword in pale, point downwards, blade arg., hilted or, between 2 boars' heads couped at the neck of the third; on a chief erm., a lion passant of the first between 2 mascles sa. The Ulster hand gu., on an escutcheon arg., in the dexter chief.
Legend.—Bibliotheca manuscript. sloaneiana.
[State Papers, 1515-1525. Sloane MS. 3839.]
Hans Sloane (born 16th April 1660, died 11th January 1753) was the son of Alexander Sloane, a Scotchman who settled in Ireland as receiver-general of the estates of Lord Clanricarde.
When he was about eighteen Hans Sloane came to London to pursue his studies, particularly medicine, chemistry, and botany. In botany he became a great authority, and his botanical collections were of great importance. In 1683 he went to France to continue his scientific studies, and on his return to London he set up as a practising physician in England.
In 1687 Dr. Sloane went to the West Indies as physician to Christopher Monck, second Duke of Albemarle, who was Governor-General of the West Indian Colonies, and during the voyage the doctor made valuable collections, chiefly botanical, and also brought together a mass of material for his future use as an author. Dr. Sloane's botanical collections were largely increased by bequests from friends, particularly that of William Courten in 1702. In 1693 Dr. Sloane was Secretary to the Royal Society, and he was also Physician-in-Chief to George I., who in 1716 created him a Baronet. He was President of the College of Physicians in 1719 and of the Royal Society in 1727. Sir Hans Sloane lived in a house in Great Russell Street, and in 1741 he moved to more roomy quarters at the Manor House, Chelsea, where his collections could be better seen.
By his will Sir Hans Sloane bequeathed his natural history collections, antiquities of all sorts, manuscripts, and printed books to the British Nation, conditional on the payment to his family of £20,000, and after considerable negotiation the offer was accepted. In 1753 an Act (25th George II., chap. 22) was passed "for the purchase of the Museum or Collection of Sir Hans Sloane," and the collections were in time, with others, removed to Montagu House, which was opened to the public in 1759. The Sloane family is represented among the Family Trustees of the British Museum.
