Skinner memorial, St Peters Cemetery, Old Aberdeen

John Skinner (17 May 1744 – 13 July 1816) was an Anglican clergyman who served as the

Bishop of Aberdeen The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach, in Latin Murthlacum) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nec ...

from 1786 to 1816 and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church from 1788 to 1816.

Early life and family

He was born at Linshart, Longside,

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area incl ...

on 17 May 1744, the second son of the Reverend John Skinner,

Incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-el ...

of Lerwick and Grissel Hunter., ''Scottish Episcopal Clergy'', p. 439., ''An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops'', p. 534. He was educated at

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has acted as the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. However, the building was constructed for and is on long- ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), ...

; obtaining a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. ...

degree in 1761. He married in 1765 to Mary Robertson (1736–1807), and they had five sons and three daughters. One of their sons, John (1769–1841), became Dean of

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to ...

and Dunblane, and another son,

William William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...

(1778–1857), became Bishop of Aberdeen.

Ecclesiastical career

He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform var ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

in 1763 and a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

in 1764. His first

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music ( pastorale) that de ...

appointment was as the

of Ellon and Udny (1764–1775), and then the Incumbent of Aberdeen (1775–1816), a post he held until his death. Skinner was appointed

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "c ...

and

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on 25 September 1782 by bishops

Kilgour Kilgour is a surname of Scottish origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Darris Kilgour(fl. 1992–2014), American lacrosse player and coach *David Kilgour (born 1941), Canadian politician * David Kilgour (musician) (fl. 1978–2014), N ...

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can b ...

and Petrie., ''An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops'', pp. 534–535. He was one of the three bishops to consecrate Samuel Seabury, an American

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

priest as a bishop in 1784. On the resignation of Bishop Robert Kilgour, Skinner became Bishop of Aberdeen in October 1786.A Short History to the Episcopal Church in Scotland (revised edition - 1974) F. Goldie, pp. 69/70 Two years later, he also became the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He died in office in Aberdeen on 13 July 1816, aged 72, and was buried in St Peters Cemetery in the Spital district of Old Aberdeen., ''An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops'', p. 535. He was succeeded by his son,

, as Bishop of Aberdeen.

References

Bibliography

* *
Scottish Episcopal Church History "Scottish Episcopal Church History: A Moment in the Century: Persecution and an Argument are Over."
Contains information about John Skinner. {{DEFAULTSORT:Skinner, John 1744 births 1816 deaths 18th-century Scottish Episcopalian bishops 19th-century Scottish Episcopalian bishops Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Bishops of Aberdeen Primuses of the Scottish Episcopal Church