All corrections
Wikipedia March 22, 2026 at 03:19 AM

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Milne_(missionary)

2 corrections found

1
Claim
the British Straits Settlements of Malacca, beginning in the Spring of 1815
Correction

This is an anachronism. The Straits Settlements were formed in 1826, not 1815, and Malacca did not become part of that unit until then.

Full reasoning

The sentence places Malacca in the Straits Settlements starting in 1815, but authoritative histories date the formation of the Straits Settlements to 1826.

  • Singapore's National Archives states that the Straits Settlements "was formed in 1826" and comprised Penang, Malacca and Singapore.
  • Britannica likewise says Malacca became one of the original Straits Settlements in 1826.

So while Milne did work in Malacca from 1815, describing that 1815 setting as being in the Straits Settlements is historically incorrect.

2 sources
2
Claim
were expelled by the Roman Catholic priests there after three days
Correction

Sources say Milne was ordered to leave by the Portuguese governor, reportedly under pressure from Catholic clergy; the priests themselves did not formally expel him.

Full reasoning

This wording misstates who actually expelled Milne from Macao. Multiple biographical sources agree that the formal action came from the Portuguese governor, not directly from the priests.

  • The Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity says the Portuguese governor, under pressure from the Roman Catholic clergy, ordered Milne and his wife to leave.
  • The Dictionary of National Biography likewise says that an order from the Portuguese governor compelled him to leave the settlement.

That means the article's wording is inaccurate: Catholic clergy may have influenced the decision, but the expulsion order itself came from the Portuguese civil authority.

2 sources
Model: OPENAI_GPT_5 Prompt: v1.16.0