Bloomsbury: The British Museum: Sir Hans Sloane

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W. J. Loftie, adding to the incomplete work of Sir Walter Besant, in The Fascination of London, published in 1903, continues his survey of London with this look at how Sir Hans Sloane's private collection was the impetus for the founding of the British Museum:

The British Museum has rather a curious history.

Like many of our national institutions, it was the result of chance, and not of a detailed scheme.

In 1753 Sir Hans Sloane, whose name is associated so strongly with Chelsea, died, and left a splendid collection comprising "books, drawings, manuscripts, prints, medals, seals, cameos, precious stones, rare vessels, mathematical instruments, and pictures," which had cost him something like £50,000.

By his will Parliament was to have the first refusal of this collection for £20,000.

Though it was in the reign of the needy George II, the sum was voted, and by the same Act was bought the Harleian collection of manuscripts to add to it; to this was added the Cottonian Library of manuscripts, and the nation had a ready-made collection.

The money to pay for the Sloane and Harleian collections was raised by an easy method of which modern (1903) morals do not approve - that is to say, by lottery.

Many suggestions were made as to the housing of this national collection.

Buckingham House, now Buckingham Palace, was spoken of, also the old Palace Yard; of course, the modern Houses of Parliament were not then built.

Eventually Montague House was bought, and the Museum was opened to the public in 1757.

However, it had not ceased growing.

George III presented some antiquities, which necessitated the opening of a new department; to these were added the Hamilton and Townley antiquities by purchase, and in 1816 the Elgin Marbles were taken in temporarily.

On the death of George III, George IV presented his splendid library, known as the King's Library, to the Museum, not from any motive of generosity, but because he did not in the least appreciate it.

Greville, in his Journal (1823), says: "The King had even a design of selling the library collected by the late King, but this he was obliged to abandon, for the Ministers and the Royal Family must have interposed to oppose so scandalous a transaction. It was therefore presented to the British Museum."

It then became necessary to pull down Montague House and build a Museum worthy of the treasures to be enshrined. Sir Robert Smirke was the architect, and the present massive edifice is from his designs. The buildings cost more than £800,000.

As this is no guide-book, no attempt is made to classify the departments of the Museum or to indicate its riches. These may be found by experiment, or read in the official guides to be bought on the spot.

On the east is Montague Street, running into Russell Square.

Next: Bloomsbury: Southampton Fields