Robert Skinner (bishop)

Robert Skinner (10 February 1591 – 14 June 1670) was an English bishop who served consecutively as Bishop of Bristol, Bishop of Oxford, and Bishop of Worcester.

Life[edit]

He was born on 10 February 1591, the second son of Edmund Skinner, rector of Pitsford, Northamptonshire, and Bridget, daughter of Humphrey Radcliff of Warwickshire. After attending Brixworth grammar school, he was admitted scholar of Trinity College, Oxford in 1607. He graduated B.A. in 1610, and M.A. in 1614. In 1613, he was elected fellow of his college, and until his death interested himself in its welfare. He proceeded B.D. in 1621, and became preacher of St Gregory's Church, near St Paul's Cathedral. In 1628, he succeeded his father as rector of Pitsford,^[1] and shortly after was chosen by Laud to be chaplain-in-ordinary to the king. He was vicar of Launton from 1632.^[2]

In 1634, Oxford University granted him a D.D. at the request of William Laud, without the formalities, a move criticized by John Prideaux.^[3] He was diplomated or actually created as such on 14 August 1636.^[4] In the 1630s, Skinner was known for his sermons before Charles I asserting Arminian doctrines.^[5] In 1636, he became bishop of Bristol and rector of Greens Norton, Northamptonshire. He retained the living of Launton, to which were soon added those of Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, and Beckenham, Kent. In Bristol, he was active in preaching against Calvinism.^[6]

In 1641, he was translated to become Bishop of Oxford. He was one of the bishops who subscribed the protest of 17 December 1641, declaring themselves prevented from attendance in Parliament, and was consequently committed by the lords to the Tower, where he remained eighteen weeks. Released on bail, he resided at Launton. In 1643, he was deprived of Greens Norton "for his malignity against the parliament." He was deprived of his see by Parliament on 9 October 1646, as episcopacy was abolished for the duration of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate.^[7]^[8] He was also sequestered from his livings of Cuddesden in 1646 and Beckenham in 1647. During the Commonwealth, he secured a licence to preach, and continued in his diocese. He also conferred holy orders throughout England. It is stated by Thomas Warton, in his Life of R. Bathurst (p. 35), that Ralph Bathurst secretly examined the candidates, and officiated at Launton as archdeacon.^[9]^[10]

At the Stuart Restoration, he became one of the king's commissioners of the University of Oxford, and in 1663 was translated to Worcester. He died on 14 June 1670 and is buried in a chapel at the east end of the choir of Worcester Cathedral. At the head of the inscribed stone, which is now in the crypt, is the arms of the family impaled with those of the see. He married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Bernard Bangor, esquire bedell of Oxford, and left six sons and four daughters.

Skinner's eldest son Matthew became a fellow of Trinity. The latter's grandson was Matthew Skinner, serjeant-at-law; while from the bishop's fourth son was descended John Skinner, the antiquary.

References[edit]

^ "Parishes: Pitsford | British History Online". British-history.ac.uk. 26 January 1910. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^ "Parishes: Launton | British History Online". British-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^ Kenneth Fincham, Early Stuart Polity, p. 210 in Trevor Henry Aston, Nicholas Tyacke (editors), The History of the University of Oxford: Volume IV: Seventeenth-Century Oxford (1984).
^ Wood, Anthony (1813–1820). Philip Bliss (ed.). Fasti Oxonienses. Vol. 1. p. 489.
^ Kenneth Fincham, The Early Stuart Church, 1603-1642, p. 40.
^ Kenneth Fincham, The Early Stuart Church, 1603-1642, pp.81-2.
^ Plant, David (2002). "Episcopalians". BCW Project. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
^ King, Peter (July 1968). "The Episcopate during the Civil Wars, 1642–1649". The English Historical Review. 83 (328). Oxford University Press: 523–537. doi:10.1093/ehr/lxxxiii.cccxxviii.523. JSTOR 564164.
^ Roger Kenneth French, Andrew Wear (editors), The Medical Revolution of the Seventeenth Century (1989), p. 32.
^ "Alan Ray-Jones - Some stories and notes". Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2009.

Church of England titles
Preceded by George Coke	Bishop of Bristol 1637–1641	Succeeded by Thomas Westfield
Preceded by John Bancroft	Bishop of Oxford 1641–1646 & 1660–1663	Succeeded by William Paul
Preceded by John Earle	Bishop of Worcester 1663–1670	Succeeded by Walter Blandford

v t e Bishops of Bristol
For the sole Bishop suffragan of Bristol, see Henry Holbeach
Bristol (1542)	Paul Bush John Holyman Richard Cheyney John Bullingham Richard Fletcher John Thornborough Nicholas Felton Rowland Searchfield Robert Wright George Coke Robert Skinner Thomas Westfield Thomas Howell Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Gilbert Ironside (Er) Guy Carleton William Gulston John Lake Gilbert Ironside (Yr) John Hall John Robinson George Smalridge Hugh Boulter William Bradshaw Charles Cecil Thomas Secker Thomas Gooch Joseph Butler John Conybeare John Hume Philip Yonge Thomas Newton Lewis Bagot Christopher Wilson Spencer Madan Reginald Courtenay Folliott Cornewall George Pelham John Luxmoore William Lort Mansel John Kaye Robert Gray Joseph Allen Diocese dissolved; see Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol
Bristol (1897)	George Forrest Browne George Nickson Clifford Woodward Frederick Cockin Oliver Tomkins John Tinsley Barry Rogerson Mike Hill Lee Rayfield (acting) Vivienne Faull

v t e Bishops of Worcester
Early medieval	Bosel Oftfor Egwin of Evesham Wilfrith (I) Milred Waermund Tilhere Heathured Denebeorht Heahbeorht Ealhhun Werferth Æthelhun Wilfrith (II) Koenwald Dunstan Oswald Ealdwulf
High medieval	Wulfstan (I) Leofsige Beorhtheah Lyfing Ælfric Puttoc Lyfing Ealdred Wulfstan (II) Samson Theulf Simon John de Pageham Alured Roger Baldwin of Forde William of Northall Robert FitzRalph Henry de Sully John of Coutances Mauger Randulf of Evesham Walter de Gray Sylvester William de Blois Walter de Cantilupe Nicholas of Ely Godfrey Giffard
Late medieval	John St German William Gainsborough Walter Reynolds Walter Maidstone Thomas Cobham Wulstan Bransford Adam Orleton Simon Montacute Thomas Hemenhale Wulstan Bransford John of Thoresby Reginald Brian John Barnet William Whittlesey William Lenn Walter Lyghe Henry Wakefield Robert Tideman of Winchcombe Richard Clifford Thomas Peverel Philip Morgan Thomas Polton Thomas Brunce Thomas Bourchier John Carpenter ("Bishop of Worcester and Westbury") John Alcock Robert Morton Giovanni de' Gigli
Early modern	Silvestro de' Gigli Girolamo Ghinucci Hugh Latimer John Bell Nicholas Heath John Hooper, Bishop of Worcester and Gloucester Nicholas Heath Richard Pate Edwin Sandys Nicholas Bullingham John Whitgift Edmund Freke Richard Fletcher Thomas Bilson Gervase Babington Henry Parry John Thornborough John Prideaux Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) George Morley John Gauden John Earle Robert Skinner Walter Blandford James Fleetwood William Thomas Edward Stillingfleet William Lloyd John Hough Isaac Maddox James Johnson Brownlow North Richard Hurd
Late modern	Folliott Cornewall Robert Carr Henry Pepys Henry Philpott John Perowne Charles Gore Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs Ernest Pearce Arthur Perowne William Wilson Cash Mervyn Charles-Edwards Robin Woods Philip Goodrich Peter Selby John Inge

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Spain United States

Life[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]