John Skinner (bishop)

He was born at Linshart, Longside, Aberdeenshire on 17 May 1744, the second son of the Reverend John Skinner, Incumbent of Lerwick and Grissel Hunter.[1][2] He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen; obtaining a Master of Arts degree in 1761.[1] He married in 1765 to Mary Robertson (1736–1807), and they had five sons and three daughters.[1] One of their sons, John (1769–1841), became Dean of Dunkeld and Dunblane, and another son, William (1778–1857), became Bishop of Aberdeen.[1]

He was ordained a deacon in 1763 and a priest in 1764.[1] His first pastoral appointment was as the Incumbent of Ellon and Udny (1764–1775), and then the Incumbent of Aberdeen (1775–1816), a post he held until his death.[1][2] Skinner was appointed coadjutor bishop of Aberdeen and consecrated on 25 September 1782 by bishops Kilgour, Rose and Petrie.[1][3] He was one of the three bishops to consecrate Samuel Seabury, an American Episcopal priest as a bishop in 1784.[1] On the resignation of Bishop Robert Kilgour, Skinner became Bishop of Aberdeen in October 1786.[1][4] Two years later, he also became the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.[1]

He died in office in Aberdeen on 13 July 1816, aged 72, and was buried at Spital, Old Aberdeen.[1][5] He was succeeded by his son, William, as Bishop of Aberdeen.