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John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex)

Church of England clergyman

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMar 16, 2026
Entity authorityQ18813273 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Rev John Sinclair FRSE (20 August 1797 - 22 May 1875) was a religious author and amateur biologist. He served as Archdeacon of Middlesex from 1844 until his death.

Life

He was the son of Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet of Ulbster, and his second wife, Diana Macdonald, daughter of Alexander Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald. He was born at 9 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh but the family moved to 6 Charlotte Square around 1810.

He studied Divinity at Pembroke College, Oxford, graduating BA in 1819. There he was one of the founders of the Rhetorical Society. He was made a Deacon in 1820 and ordained as a priest in 1821 and spent one year at Sutterby in Lincolnshire. In 1822 he joined his parents in Edinburgh and took a post of Incumbent at Old St Paul's Church on Jeffrey Street.

In 1829 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (for his contributions to biology). His proposer was Archibald Alison.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex)” as church of England clergyman. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around John, Sinclair and archdeacon.

Editorial reviewA strong orientation record where physical form, institutional use and historical geography need to be read together. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1797, 1875, 1844, 1810—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1797. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with John, Sinclair and archdeacon providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex)”, the useful work is to connect “church of England clergyman” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q18813273. VIAF identifies the subject as 13465374. The Library of Congress control number is n88175957. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1797, 1875, 1844 and 1810.

Critical limits

Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex) primary sources, John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex) archive and John research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex)”?
  2. Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.