He published, besides single sermons: 1. ‘A Course of Lectures,’ Aberdeen, 1786, 12mo. 2. ‘A Layman's Account of his Faith,’ Edinburgh, 1801, 12mo (anon.). 3. ‘Primitive Truth and Order Vindicated,’ Aberdeen, 1803, 8vo (against George Campbell (1719–1796) [q. v.]).
John Skinner, M.A. (1769–1841), elder son of the above, was born on 20 Aug. 1769, educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and ordained 1790, episcopal clergyman at Forfar from 1797, and dean of Dunkeld; he was author of ‘Annals of Scottish Episcopacy … 1788 to … 1816,’ Edinburgh, 1818, 8vo (including a memoir of his father). He died at Forfar on 2 Sept. 1841, leaving a son James (1818–1881), who is separately noticed.
[Skinner's Memoir of Bishop John Skinner, 1818; Grub's Eccl. Hist. of Scotland, 1861, vol. iv.; Irving's Book of Scotsmen, 1881, p. 479; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1715–1886, iv. 1304; information from the Rev. H. Mackean, Forfar.]
SKINNER, JOHN (1772–1839), antiquary, born in 1772, was the son of Russell Skinner of Newtown House, Lymington, Hampshire, by his wife, Mary Page of Tottenham High Cross, Middlesex. He was educated at Cheam, and entered Trinity College, Oxford, on 16 Nov. 1790, graduating B.A. in 1794 and M.A. in 1797. In 1794 he went to Lincoln's Inn, but, determining to relinquish law, he took holy orders. After having been curate of South Brent, Somerset, for four months, he was instituted to the living of Camerton in the same county in September 1800.
Skinner was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and devoted much time to antiquarian studies. He formed a large collection of Roman and native antiquities which had been discovered in the neighbourhood of his parish. He was also an enthusiastic etymologist, but his philological theories were extremely wild. He attempted to find a secret significance in every letter which entered into the composition of Celtic names, and in support of his theory wrote a work on the origin and analysis of language, which was not published. He committed suicide on 12 Oct. 1839. He left a son, Fitzowen Skinner, a barrister of Lincoln's Inn, and a daughter, Anna, married to William Robert Augustus Boyle of Lincoln's Inn.
Skinner contributed several papers on antiquarian subjects to the ‘Archæologia’ of the Society of Antiquaries, and to the ‘Gentleman's Magazine.’ He also left a record of his travels and researches in ninety-eight manuscript volumes, profusely illustrated with watercolour drawings, which he bequeathed to the British Museum on condition that they were not opened for fifty years (Addit. MSS. 33633–730). With the exception of a tour in Holland, 1788–9 (vol. i.), a tour in the north of England, 1825 (vols. li–lvii.), and a French tour (vols. lxxii–lxxix.), his journeys were confined to the south of England, and chiefly to Somerset and the neighbouring counties. The accounts of local antiquities are remarkably elaborate. The collection is prefaced by an introduction by the author, and the last two volumes contain an index.
Skinner's portrait was painted by George Patten [q. v.] Another portrait by S. C. Smith, executed for Sir Richard Hoare, was preserved at Stourbridge, Worcestershire.
[Gent. Mag. 1840, ii. 661; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1715–1886.]
SKINNER, JOHN EDWIN HILARY (1839–1894), special correspondent, elder son of Allen Maclean Skinner, Q.C., and a descendant of Matthew Skinner [q. v.], was born in London in January 1839, and educated at London University, where he graduated LL.D. in 1861. In the same year he was called to the bar from Lincoln's Inn, and went the northern circuit. A first-rate linguist, he obtained a commission from the ‘Daily News’ as special correspondent with the Danish army in the war of 1864. He was present during the campaign down to the fall of Alsen at the end of June, whereupon Christian IX presented him with the Dannebrog order. A partial success only can be ascribed to his attempt to unravel the Schleswig-Holstein complication in ‘The Tale of Danish Heroism’ (London, 1865, 8vo); his opinion as to the superiority of the Prussian breech-loaders, however, was amply vindicated in the following year, when Skinner reported the Austro-Prussian campaign. In the meantime Skinner had visited America, and on his return wrote two sketchy volumes entitled ‘After the Storm’ (London, 1866, 8vo), dealing with the United States, Canada (the ‘Tendon Achilles’ of the British empire, of which he advocates the independence), and Mexico. In 1867 he ran the blockade into Crete, and in ‘Roughing it in Crete’ (London, 1867, 8vo) advocated the cession of Crete to Greece. This, he contended, would not only conciliate liberal opinion, but would concentrate the Turkish power. Nine years later, on this same subject he contributed ‘Turkish Rule in Crete,’ denouncing the ‘blighting effect’ of Turkish misgovernment, to the ‘Eastern Question Association’ papers (No. ix. 1877). During the Franco-German war of 1870 Skinner was attached to
