Commemorating one of the great voyages of discovery
COMMEMORATING THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY - A VOYAGE TO THE ISLANDS Vol II (1725)
About Us
Who We Are
This website has been created by Hans Sloane biographer Ian Foster. Over several years Foster has designed events to dive deeper into the subject of the life and work of Sir Hans Sloane as part of a wider venture titled The Sloane Enterprise. This has included a conference of Sloane historians at Frenchman's Cove, Jamaica in 2012.
Our Mission
Research revealed numerous connections between Foster's own family heritage and Sir Hans Sloane. This website and associated events are designed to allow others to experience this important shared history that touches the lives of many people including the millions of visitors to the British Museum , Natural History Museum and British Library.
Why We Started jamaicavoyage
Marking the tercentenary of the publication of the concluding volume of Sir Hans Sloane's ground-breaking book, this website and associated events taking place at geographic locations that have a direct link with the history, provide an opportunity to travel through space and time to explore the unique genesis of this amazing story.
The Journey Begins...
"It may be ask'd to me what purpose serve such Accounts"
In the autumn of 1687, a fleet of ships departed from England bound for the Caribbean. The expedition was funded by a group of private investors led by the Duke of Albemarle, who had been appointed governor of the island of Jamaica, their final destination. Among their number was 27 year old Dr Hans Sloane who was to serve as physician to the duke and to the fleet. He documented his experiences in a book he later wrote titled A Voyage to the Islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers, and Jamaica. Ahead of them were encounters with the dark evils of chattel slavery, unknown tropical diseases and the murderous pirates of the Caribbean.
2025 marks three hundred years since the 1725 publication of the concluding second volume of Sir Hans Sloane's ground-breaking book. 36 years had passed since Sloane had returned from the voyage, in 1689, after spending 15 months in Jamaica. He had published volume I of his account of the voyage in 1707 which had met with admiration from an international audience with a keen interest in the islands of the New World. Volume II of Sloane's account was anxiously anticipated but had been delayed by his busy schedule as a society physician and the mammoth task of cataloguing the multitude of artefacts in his incredible museum stored at his Bloomsbury home.
The book documented some of Sloane's experiences on his Caribbean sojourn, as well as the animals and especially plants he encountered. It was designed to "teach the Inhabitants of the Parts where these Plants grow, their several Uses, which I have endeavour'd to do, by the best Informations I could get from Books, and the Inhabitants, either Europeans, Indians or Blacks."
Past, Present and Future
Legacy
Sloane's account enabled a transfer of knowledge that remains to be fully understood.
In this tercentenary year a series of events will explore the background to Sloane's voyage and the subsequent legacy of his Natural History of Jamaica. as well as the importance of the book to Jamaica.
Commemorative Events 1725-2025
An Invitation - Tuesday April 15 2025
An Invitation - Tuesday April 15 2025
An Invitation - Tuesday April 15 2025
"This seem'd to me to be such an Opportunity as I my self wanted, to view the Places and Things I design'd. and at the same time to prosecute the Practice of Physic, therefore I desir'd he would give me time to think of it, and after due consideration I resolv'd to go..."
Sloane researched Jamaica's history and prepared himself for the journey but there were unknown factors ahead. Secrets to be revealed and others to keep.
On April 15 2025, we will explore the background to Sloane's decision to take the opportunity to travel to Jamaica at a London venue that has a close association with these past events.
Please subscribe to jamaicavoyage.co.uk and mention reference “Background to Voyage Talk” for further information.
Dr Hans Sloane FRCP FRS
An Invitation - Tuesday April 15 2025
An Invitation - Tuesday April 15 2025
The 27 year old Dr Sloane travelled to Jamaica as a fresh young Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Royal Society.
By the time volume II of his Natural History of Jamaica was published he had risen to become President of the Royal College of Physicians and was soon elected to be President of the Royal Society...simultaneously.
The circumstances surrounding the publication of his book have been somewhat obscured over the past 300 years and we will be exploring these coinciding factors as a part of this year's commemoration.
Coming soon
Dedication
An Invitation - Tuesday April 15 2025
"One of the largest and most Considerable of His Majesty's PLANTATIONS In AMERICA."
Jamaica was a valuable asset in the collection of English colonies in the New World. There were opportunities for adventurers who offered their services for hire or reward among the dominant European powers in the competition for territory and resources.
On their arrival in Port Royal, Sloane and his party were in what would become known as the "Wickedest City in the World". We explore how the city earned this reputation and soon suffered the Biblical consequences.
Coming soon
A Natural History of Chocolate
"Chocolate is here us'd by all People, at all times, but chiefly in the morning; it seems by its oiliness chiefly to be nourishing, and by the Eggs mixt with it to be rendr'd more so... I found it in great quantities, nauseous, and hard of digestion, which I suppose came from its great oiliness, and therefore I was unwilling to allow weak stomachs the use of it, though Children and Infants drink it here, as commonly as in England they feed on Milk."
Sloane is often referred to as a significant figure in the story of chocolate but the truth is probably more interesting.
Coming soon
Musical Origins
Soon after his arrival in Jamaica, Sloane attended a festival created by the enslaved Africans where he documented the music played by African musicians. This is recognised as one of the earliest records of African music in the English Americas and the pre-cursor to modern music forms including Jazz, Blues, R & B and most popular music.
Sloane was fascinated by the musical instruments being played and the function of the music. We explore how the music has since evolved and may have come full circle in the modern era.
Coming soon
Species Survival
Sloane's urania is the name given to an extinct day-flying moth that Sloane encountered in Jamaica. He also documented the now extinct Giant Galliwasp and a preserved specimen was returned to Jamaica in 2024.
The Natural History of Jamaica was designed to provide information on human survival in an unfamiliar environment that already held natural solutions to the dangers. The challenge was to discover the solutions that would enable survival. We explore lessons to be learned from observations contained in the book.
Coming soon
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