Robert Skinner (10 February 159114 June 1670) was an English bishop who served consecutively as Bishop of Bristol,

Bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The current bishop is Steven Croft (bishop), Steven Croft, following the Confirm ...

, and

Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary (officer), head of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Worcester, Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title can be traced back to the foundation of the diocese in the ...

Life

He was born on 10 February 1591, the second son of Edmund Skinner, rector of Pitsford,

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

, and Bridget, daughter of Humphrey Radcliff of

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

. After attending Brixworth grammar school, he was admitted scholar of

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

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, and shortly after was chosen by Laud to be chaplain-in-ordinary to the king. He was vicar of Launton from 1632. In 1634,

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

granted him a D.D. at the request of

William Laud William Laud (; 7 October 1573 – 10 January 1645) was a bishop in the Church of England. Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Charles I of England, Charles I in 1633, Laud was a key advocate of Caroline era#Religion, Charles I's religious re ...

, without the formalities, a move criticized by John Prideaux. He was diplomated or actually created as such on 14 August 1636. In the 1630s, Skinner was known for his sermons before Charles I asserting

Arminian Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the Christian theology, theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remo ...

doctrines. 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 Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

. In 1641, he was translated to become

. 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 A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

and

the Protectorate The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, was the English form of government lasting from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659, under which the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotl ...

. 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. At the

Stuart Restoration The Stuart Restoration was the reinstatement in May 1660 of the Stuart monarchy in Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland. It replaced the Commonwealth of England, established in January 164 ...

, 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.

Life

References

Further reading