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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Correspondence Explorer

Choose two people to view all letters between them.

Showing 9 letters from 1664–1673

6 letters from John Winthrop; 3 letters from Henry Oldenburg

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Stating that the Society wishes to collect astronomical observations from several parts of the world with details of observations of Thomas Street in England; invites Winthrop to correspond about natural history in New England; that the Society already has information about the East Indies and gives details about a wood that smells like human excrement and used against evil spirits

01 March 1664 Sender: Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O1/8
1668

Concerning the non-delivery of letters to New England because of bad weather; concerning mines in North America and experiments in salt-works; concerning maize and a new way of making tar; discussing telescopes Account of a fire at a farm-house at Farmington (plantation near Hartford in Connecticut) with discussion of the houses and thatch, and a discussion of seaweed as manure for apple trees. Account is inserted within this letter.

12 November 1668 Sender: John Winthrop Reference number: EL/W3/21
1669

Concerning delivery of letters from New England; sends some small oaks and then gives an account about them; he also sends a pail made of birch, some Indian [sic] money, and winter wheat Read to the Royal Society on 10 February 1669

04 October 1669 Sender: John Winthrop Reference number: EL/W3/22
1670

Thanks for the curiosities sent from America to the Society (eg extraordinary fish, dwarf oaks); would like an account of the fish common to Winthrop's area; details the books that are going to be sent to him; asks him to send cranberries

26 March 1670 Sender: Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/26

States that he has sent a stellar fish, cranberries, skins of rattle snakes (with account about them), Virginia snakeweed, Indian [sic] corn, dwarf oaks, butternut tree (of the walnut family), horn fish, all from New England; concerning a natural history of New England Read to the Royal Society on 27 October 1670

26 August 1670 Sender: John Winthrop Reference number: EL/W3/23

Concerns sending a hummingbird with nest and eggs to the Royal Society; states that he will send some more cranberries for Oldenburg himself Read to the Royal Society on 23 March 1670

11 October 1670 Sender: John Winthrop Reference number: EL/W3/25

Account of stellar fish and other shellfish; sending Indian [sic] corn, hummingbird, silk grass and cranberries to the Royal Society

26 October 1670 Sender: John Winthrop Reference number: EL/W3/26
1671

Thanks for the parcel of curiosities from New England and discusses the shell fish called Horse-foot; concerning the 'overturned hill' and believes it was strange that there was no earthquake; wishes for a history of New England; lists the recently published books that he sends

11 April 1671 Sender: Henry Oldenburg Reference number: EL/O2/49
1673

States that he has several items to send to the Royal Society; concerning a comet seen in the skies near Boston

25 September 1673 Sender: John Winthrop Reference number: EL/W3/27