Thomas Skinner (etcher)
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Thomas Skinner (16 June 1819 – 6 December 1881) was an
etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...
,
inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
and amateur oil-painter in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. During the 1840s he invented a method by which the
mass production Mass production, also known as mass production, series production, series manufacture, or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines ...
of etched designs on steel blades could be facilitated by means of paper
transfers Transfer may refer to: Arts and media * ''Transfer'' (2010 film), a German science-fiction movie directed by Damir Lukacevic and starring Zana Marjanović * ''Transfer'' (1966 film), a short film * ''Transfer'' (journal), in management studies * ...
. The British and American
patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...
s brought him a good income, but he devoted his life to developing the method. After he was widowed he was killed by
arsenic poisoning Arsenic poisoning (or arsenicosis) is a medical condition that occurs due to elevated levels of arsenic in the body. If arsenic poisoning occurs over a brief period of time, symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, encephalopathy, and water ...
at the hands of his housekeeper Kate Dover.


Background

Thomas Skinner's father was etcher and cutler Thomas Skinner senior, who worked for Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield. Thomas junior was born in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
on 16 June 1819. By 1841 at the age of 22 he was an ornamenter, living in Carver Street, Sheffield, with his widowed mother Mary who kept a
lodging house A boarding house is a house (frequently a family home) in which lodgers rent one or more rooms on a nightly basis and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, or years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, s ...
. He had three sisters: Ann, Matilda (born ca. 1820) and Eliza (born ca. 1830). Skinner's wife was Melinda or Mellind Mills, also known as Mellond (1821–1876), daughter of grinder Samuel Mills, Marriages Dec 1839 Skinner Thomas and Mills Mellind Sheffield 22 473. The certificate says: Sheffield Parish Church, 1 October 1839. Thomas Skinner, 21, bachelor, cutler of West Street. Mellond Mills, 19, spinster, of Young Street. Thomas Skinner, etcher, father of Thomas Skinner. Samuel Mills, grinder, father of Mellond Mills. Thomas and Mellond both signed the register. Witnesses were Peter Conway and (V?) Hudson. who was born and died in
Ecclesall Ecclesall Ward—which includes the neighbourhoods of Banner Cross, Bents Green, Carterknowle, Ecclesall, Greystones, Millhouses, and Ringinglow—is one of the 28 electoral wards in the Sheffield district, in the county of South Yorkshire, En ...
, Sheffield. They married on 1 October 1839 in the same town. He moved around a lot: in 1851 he was at West Street, and in 1857 he was at Regent Terrace, where he and his wife suffered a burglary. Charles Rushby was
remanded Remand may refer to: * Remand (court procedure), when an appellate court sends a case back to the trial court or lower appellate court * Pre-trial detention, detention of a suspect prior to a trial, conviction, or sentencing See also *'' Remando ...
and committed to Sessions, with
breaking and entering Burglary, also called breaking and entering (B&E) or housebreaking, is a property crime involving the illegal entry into a building or other area without permission, typically with the intention of committing a further criminal offence. Usually ...
, ransacking drawers and boxes, and stealing "a silver-plated
salver A salver is a flat heavy tray of silver, other metal or glass used for carrying or serving glasses, cups, and dishes at a table, or for the presenting of a letter or card by a servant. In a royal or noble household the fear of poisoning led to ...
, jug, mug, beaker, three egg cups, a spoon, together with a pair of boots". At that point, Skinner was described as a silver plater. By 1861 he was describing himself as an engraver on copper and living at 29 Charlotte Street, St George's, Sheffield, with Melinda and their son Clifford (Ecclesall 1855 –
Poplar, London Poplar is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located five miles (8 km) east of Charing Cross and lies on the western bank of the River Lea. Poplar is identified as a major district centre in the London Plan, with its ...
1924). Mellond was buried on 28 November 1876 at
All Saints Church, Ecclesall All Saints is a Church of England parish church in Sheffield, England. It is a Grade II listed building, and is located in Ecclesall, between Ringinglow Road and Ecclesall Road South. All Saints' emergent youth and young adults congregation is ...
. At some point around the 1870s, Skinner lived at Upper Gell Street Sheffield. Something of Skinner's character may be glimpsed from the court case of December 1856, in which the German silversmith Frederick Allen was charged with giving Skinner "a severe black eye". However there had previously been "unpleasantness" between Skinner and Allen, who was under notice to quit. On the day of the alleged assault, Allen refused to follow orders, and took it upon himself to pick out teapot handles for use at work without asking permission. Skinner called him a "scoundrel" and pushed him, and "a scuffle and fight ensued." The magistrates "took the view that Skinner had commenced the assault ... and dismissed the case". Later, as a widower, Skinner was very familiar with his servants; for example he chaffed Emma Bolsover "about not being so good-looking as her sister". Some witnesses said he was also a drunkard later in life, although his sister Ann Holmes said that he was not. Skinner was nevertheless described by a friend as:
"A man of superior intellectual ability; had a very fine nervous organisation; and was extremely sensitive to all kinds of impressions. He was a kind, genial, sympathetic man, with a very strong love nature – much too strong in fact; a man of strong temper and great excitability. He possessed enormously developed perceptive faculties which gave him his artistic and mechanical skill, his love for music, and fitted him for doing almost any kind of refined and delicate work. A man of good easy conversational powers, he easily gathered knowledge from other sources than books, and turned it readily to use; but he had not much thinking power, and was consequently liable to be led away by his strong feelings, and to do things which were not wise. He had very strong self-esteem, was very opinionated, and extremely sensitive to adverse criticism. This, with his fine organisation, made him very gentlemanly and refined in his manners – and he exhibited to the world the bearings of a gentleman. His business faculties were not so strongly developed, and that will probably explain why he, along with many other inventors, did not reap the full benefit of his discoveries. Those who know the deceased best will most readily concur the accuracy of this description of him ... Skinner kept regular correspondence with artists John Manasseh and James Poole, and "he could quote with extreme accuracy from almost any poet of note."


Business and employment

Skinner worked with his father as a cutler for Joseph Rodgers & Sons, 6 Norfolk Street, Sheffield. His father was brought to public notice for his painting of the flag of the
Birmingham Political Union The Birmingham Political Union (General Political Union) was a grass roots pressure group in Great Britain during the 1830s. It was founded by Thomas Attwood (economist), Thomas Attwood, a banker interested in monetary reform. Its platform called ...
of 1832, but died before 1841. In 1845, at the age of 24 years, Skinner was still working for Rodgers. His work caught the attention of his employers, who submitted an example of his engraving to the ''Sheffield Independent.'' The newspaper described it as:
"A beautiful example of etching on steel, the production of a Sheffield
mechanic A mechanic is a skilled tradesperson who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially engines. Formerly, the term meant any member of the handicraft trades, but by the early 20th century, it had come to mean one who works w ...
. It is a copy of Stothard's ''Vintage,'' and the execution holds out great promise from its producer, Mr Thomas Skinner ... The piece possesses some claim to novelty, as well as merit, from being much larger in size than the generality of specimens of etching in steel, and is framed, for the purpose of hanging in a room."
Before his trip to America in the 1860s, Skinner attempted to profit from his invention by leaving paid employment and going into
partnership A partnership is an agreement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments or combinations. Organizations ...
. Coulson and Branson paid him £600 for right to his invention, and they went into partnership as Skinner, Coulson and Branson, working out of Sycamore Street. "His habits, however, were so unbusinesslike that the partnership only lasted a few years. In 1853 he was in partnership with Samuel Coulson and Joseph Heap, as Skinner & Co. However, although a large factory company might make good profit from his
mass production Mass production, also known as mass production, series production, series manufacture, or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines ...
idea, a small partnership business was more likely to have disproportionate
overheads In business, an overhead or overhead expense is an ongoing expense of operating a business. Overheads are the expenditure which cannot be conveniently traced to or identified with any particular revenue unit, unlike operating expenses such as raw m ...
. This is illustrated by the 1853 court case Kilner vs. Skinner and Others. Skinner would not pay the full invoice of the engraver Kilner who had been hired to engrave designs on copper, from which the paper transfers would be taken. This was because Kilner had to engrave four times more deeply than normally required, so that enough acid could be put in the grooves for the transfer. However this took "a great number of times" more work and hours needed for normal engraving, hence the greater price. Kilner was awarded most of his claim by the Court. Thus on 25 April 1857 Skinner presented himself before the Court for a certificate of
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
. Skinner was working for George Westenholm and Son of Washington Works, and "while engaged there, an event transpired which induced him to leave suddenly for America." This event may have been the bankruptcy. Skinner was probably recruited in America in 1866 by Binns & Mason, the
Rochester, Pennsylvania Rochester is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio rivers northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,472 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropoli ...
pocketknife company which was to become the
Beaver Falls Cutlery Company Beaver Falls Cutlery Company, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, is a former company which manufactured steel cutlery, razors and pocketknives. The company was founded as Binns & Mason in 1866 by skilled cutlers from Sheffield, West Riding of Yorksh ...
. It was while working there for Samuel Mason that Skinner obtained the 1867 US patent for his invention. He stayed for six years then sold the patent for the equivalent of £500 to BFCC. He returned to Sheffield by 1874 when he hired Jane Jones as a nurse for his sick wife. Thereafter, until his death in 1881, he continued to support himself from home independently by use of his etching process.


Skinner's invention

Skinner invented a method of etching designs into steel blades and bone handles of knives, which offered a potential for mass production, because it was faster and cheaper than traditional etching techniques. By 1849 he had perfected the invention so that it could be adopted by the industry, "to the productions of which it asunquestionably a boon of magnitude. The leading features
ere Ere or ERE may refer to: * ''Environmental and Resource Economics'', a peer-reviewed academic journal * ERE Informatique, one of the first French video game companies * Ere language, an Austronesian language * Ebi Ere (born 1981), American-Nigeria ...
its simplicity, clearness, and especially cheapness." Prices quoted for decorating one item ranged from one
old penny The British pre-decimal penny was a denomination of sterling coinage worth of one pound or of one shilling. Its symbol was ''d'', from the Roman denarius. It was a continuation of the earlier English penny, and in Scotland it had the same ...
to threepence. This meant that now most steel blades could be etched upon; not just the expensive ones. The 1851 patent idea was inspired by the traditional method used for the transference of patterns to pottery, and by a system used by Woodcocks of Howard Street, Sheffield, for transferring etchings of landscapes onto ivory since 1836. However in the case of the ivory transfers, the original design on copper was created as ridges, whereas in the case of Skinner's invention, the design on the copper original was created as grooves. In 1842 makers of steel blades had also used copper originals with ridges. In that case, the inked design was transferred as a blocker to the blade, then the whole blade was immersed in acid which ate away the metal between the design-lines, leaving the blocked design-ridges proud. Therefore the method used by Skinner was different from previous usages. Skinner's UK patent of August 1851 was announced in ''Newton's List'' of patents. The guidebook to the 1851
Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took ...
said: "Our readers will notice the beautiful designs on some of the steel articles, razors &c, sent from Sheffield. The method of executing this etching and gilding on steel, is the invention of Mr. Thomas Skinner, of Sheffield". The article he contributed was:
" a waiter, of Britannia metal, electro-plated with silver. The bottom is ornamented with a variety of scroll work which might be supposed to have been produced by the ordinary process of engraving or etching, but has been effected by a process which Mr Skinner describes as printing on metal ... There is, however, a marked difference in the fine lines, from those of ordinary engravings, the sharpness of outline being wanting. The recommendation of the process is its cheapness.
Skinner registered a patent no.72553 in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
on 24 December 1867. This American patent is described thus:
72,553. Thomas Skinner, Pittsburgh, Pa. Method of Forming Designs upon Metals, Ivory, etcetera. December 24, 1867. To produce ornamental figures upon steel, the design is first engraved upon a copper plate. A proof is taken upon thin paper with ink made by boiling oil to a viscid consistence and adding a little lampblack. The design is transferred to the steel plate, and the paper is removed with water, leaving the ink upon the steel. The plate is then coated with a light spirit varnish. The ink is removed by application of oil of turpentine, and dilute acid applied to act only on the parts previously covered by the ink. After removal of the acid by water the varnish is removed by benzine. Claim. The herein-described method of preparing the design upon the article to be operated on preparatory to the etching process by the means of transfers, substantially as set forth.
In 1874, his UK patent for the invention of "improvements in the mode or process of etching on steel or iron, or other metal or substance" was ''
Gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
''. A description of the process was given by Mr Branson who met Skinner around 1856.
"Having engraved the desired design on a small sheet of copper, he applied the chemical ink, and secured the impression by rubbing a strip of paper with his finger. The print was placed in position on the blade of the knife, and rubbed with the finger. The design being now transferred, a little oil was brushed on, and the acid applied. In a few minutes the etching was complete. So simple and easy was the method, that he probably would do half a gross in the hour. Having witnessed his etching, he took me to his rooms in Eldon street, and showed me his ''jewelled'' plate. Though a stranger, he invited me to become his partner."
An improved patent was announced by Skinner and Branson around 1856. It was described by The ''Sheffield Independent'' as follows:
"Take first a
copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
plate, and take first from it an impression with an ink made by boiling
linseed oil Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil or flax oil (in its edible form), is a colorless to yellowish oil obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant (''Linum usitatissimum''). The oil is obtained by pressing, sometimes followed by ...
to the consistency of common
treacle Treacle () is any uncrystallised syrup made during the refining of sugar.Oxford Dictionary The most common forms of treacle are golden syrup, a pale variety, and black treacle, a darker variety similar to molasses. Black treacle has a distinctiv ...
; the paper used is thin, similar to that in use by the
potters A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US * Potter, Arkansas * Potter, Nebraska * Potters, New Je ...
in transferring prints to earthenware. When the impression is taken, it is transferred to the article to be decorated, the ink used being of a stick(y) or glutinous nature. A sponge and warm water are then used to crumble off the paper, when the impression of ink will be found on the metal surface; fine
resin A resin is a solid or highly viscous liquid that can be converted into a polymer. Resins may be biological or synthetic in origin, but are typically harvested from plants. Resins are mixtures of organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. Commo ...
(powdered) is then applied to the surface through a sieve of fine
gauze Gauze is a thin, translucent Textile, fabric with a wikt:loose, loose open Weaving, weave. In technical terms, "gauze" is a weave structure in which the weft yarns are arranged in pairs and are crossed before and after each Warp (weaving), w ...
; the fine particles of resin fix themselves closely to the sticky impression; in fact, sink into it. In this state, the work is left for a few hours; by this time the impression becomes completely saturated with the resin. A soft brush then dusts off the powdered resin (which is very important) by a soft rag. By this time, you have the resin sunk into and on the design, while the surface is perfectly clean from it. In this state, hot water is poured on the work, which melts the resin and amalgamates it with the printing
ink Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. ...
, which becomes a
varnish Varnish is a clear Transparency (optics), transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not to be confused with wood stain. It usually has a yellowish shade due to the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmente ...
sufficiently powerful to resist strong acid. The work is then bitten in in the same method by which engravers bite in their work. The surface being cleansed, the article is then ready for
plating Plating is a finishing process in which a metal is deposited on a surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years; it is also critical for modern technology. Plating is used to decorate objects, for corrosion inhibition, to improve solderab ...
... The acids used are, of course, the secrets of the trade."
After Skinner's return from America, Branson met Skinner again: "From the founder of the Beaver Falls Cutlery Works (also a Sheffield man) I learned something of his luck in America. Being employed at these works, he induced the proprietor to purchase the invention for etching at a goodly price. It was, however, soon found out that the patent (of 1867) could not be enforced, the process being now common in the trade. Mr Skinner showed me a painting of these works, a large red brick building, unpicturesque in its angular and staring newness."


Amateur art

Thomas Skinner was an etcher, an artist and a
landscape painter Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...
in oils, showing "considerable merit as an amateur". Ref 4637/118 p.36 Skinner exhibited works in Division Street and the Society of Artists' Exhibition in Sheffield. The ''Sheffield Daily Telegraph'' said, "Altogether his style of colour is vivid and showy; lacking the suggestiveness of mystery." At 11.00 a.m. on 9 February 1882, after Skinner's death and on the day when his killer was sentenced, a sale of his effects was held at his former home in Glover Road. The crowd began to gather "long before" the start of the sale, and increased to "between three and four hundred". Female attendees made it clear that "The Heeley Queen had few friends amongst them," and amongst them were Skinner's two sisters and Jane Jones, his former housekeeper. When Kate Dover's sentence was reported, it was "hailed with apparent satisfaction," and "the greatest merriment prevailed throughout." There were customers who "only wanted something that had been his," and it so happened that just before the auction a "large dray" full of furniture from "outside sources" was added by the auctioneer. Bidders were permitted to believe that a tin pudding dish was the one used for the poisoned onion stuffing, and it realised 1s 2d and an announcement from the winning bidder that it would hang on the wall, although the real dish for poisoning was in the hands of the police. Nearly forty of Skinner's oil paintings were in the sale. The ''Sheffield Independent'' thought them "crudely executed". The paintings were: ''The Beaver Cutlery works, North America,'' ''A lane near
Matlock Bath Matlock Bath is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England. It lies in the Derbyshire Dales, south of Matlock on the main A6 road, and approximately halfway between Buxton and Derby. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census ...
'', ''Beechwood Glen'', ''A companion picture'', '' Mademoiselle Beatrice, The Woman of the People'', ''Landscape'', ''Meeting in the lane'', ''Spanish scene'', ''Cattle in the meadow'', ''A country lane'', ''Windmill and cattle'' after
Birket Foster Myles Birket Foster (4 February 1825 – 27 March 1899) was a British illustrator, watercolourist and engraver in the Victorian period. His name is also to be found as Myles Birkett Foster. Life and work Foster was born in North Shields ...
, ''Scene on an American farm'', ''Alpine
loch ''Loch'' ( ) is a word meaning "lake" or "inlet, sea inlet" in Scottish Gaelic, Scottish and Irish Gaelic, subsequently borrowed into English. In Irish contexts, it often appears in the anglicized form "lough". A small loch is sometimes calle ...
and cattle'', ''A log cabin'', ''An American lake scene'', ''A prison scene during the French Revolution'', ''Lake scenery in America'', ''A wood in America'', ''A Derbyshire Toll-Bar'', ''The flute-player'', ''The Queen of Hearts'', ''A Spanish beauty'', ''A bridge at
Windermere Windermere (historically Winder Mere) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the List of lakes and lochs of the United Ki ...
'', ''Sheep waiting for admission at the gate'', ''The meeting place'', ''Beech trees and cattle'', ''Cottage near a wood'', ''The old farm'', ''Scene in a
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
lane'', ''Going to market'', ''
Erin go bragh Erin go Bragh ( ), sometimes Erin go Braugh, is the anglicisation of an Irish language phrase, , and is used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever." Origin ''Erin go Bragh'' is an anglicisation of ...
'', ''Cottages near
Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
'', ''The drunkard's home'', ''A country walk'', ''Cattle at water'', and ''Cattle and sheep''.


Oil paintings executed in America

In 1868 Skinner painted the new works at Beaver Falls, and on 14 November of that year the '' Fishkill Standard'' reported:
"At Van Wagner's
photogram A photogram is a Photography, photographic image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a light-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The usual result is a negative shadow im ...
gallery ... a fine painting of the Beaver Falls Cutlery works ... including the adjacent landscape. It was executed by Mr Thos. Skinner of Sheffield, England, who was commissioned by the company to paint it. It was executed with great care and fidelity to details, and we have no doubt is an admirable reproduction of the actual scene, having been painted not only from careful study on the spot, but also by the assistance of photographs. It was mainly executed in Matteawan, the past summer, the artist being on a visit to his relatives there, Messrs John and William Rothery. The painting, which has been photographed by Mr Van Wagner, is valued at $500. It has already been shipped to the company, at Beaver Falls."
Skinner's former business partner Branson said that he saw Skinner's landscapes in oils. His
figure painting A figure painting is a work of fine art in any of the Painting#Painting media, painting media with the primary subject being the human figure, whether clothed or Nude (art), nude. Figure painting may also refer to the activity of creating such ...
s, ''
Charlotte Corday Marie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont (27 July 1768 – 17 July 1793), known simply as Charlotte Corday (), was a figure of the French Revolution who assassinated revolutionary and Jacobins, Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat on 13 July 1793. Cor ...
'' and ''The Drunkard's Return'', were both highly detailed and "finished to the fingernail". He commented that "''The Drunkard's Return'' has a melancholy interest in connection with Mr Skinner's later habits of life. The scene was evidently conceived in America. In the foreground around an American stove, are grouped the ragged wife and family of the sot, who, in a loathsome state of inebriation and rags, gropes his way down the steps into the miserable cellar which now forms his dwelling.


Death

After he had courted his housekeeper Felicia Dorothea Kate Dover, known as Kate Dover, for some months, she killed him on 6 December 1881 by the use of
arsenic poisoning Arsenic poisoning (or arsenicosis) is a medical condition that occurs due to elevated levels of arsenic in the body. If arsenic poisoning occurs over a brief period of time, symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, encephalopathy, and water ...
in onion stuffing, served as part of a roast dinner. At her trial in 1882 she was sentenced to life imprisonment for
manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
. Skinner died at 8.40 p.m. on 6 December 1881, at his home in 24 Glover Place, Sheffield.


Burial

Skinner was buried on Monday 12 December 1881 in a vault at "the centre of the upper portion of the churchyard" at
All Saints Church, Ecclesall All Saints is a Church of England parish church in Sheffield, England. It is a Grade II listed building, and is located in Ecclesall, between Ringinglow Road and Ecclesall Road South. All Saints' emergent youth and young adults congregation is ...
. The plot has a "handsome monolithic column" which bears the inscription, "In affectionate remembrance of Mellond, the beloved wife of Thomas Skinner who departed this life Nov 24th 1876 aged 56 years. Also the above Thomas Skinner who departed this life Dec 6th 1881 aged 62 years." Burial records are in
Sheffield Archives Sheffield Archives (located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England) collects, preserves and lists records (or archives) relating to Sheffield and South Yorkshire and makes them available for reference and research. Sheffield Archives is a joint ...
. On the day of the funeral a "large crowd" assembled outside Skinner's house, to see the polished oak coffin with "Thomas Skinner, aged 65" ''(sic)'' engraved on it. Two coaches containing relatives of Skinner, and Jane Jones, followed the coffin to the church, and after them walked "fifty or sixty persons, mostly of the fairer sex". The service was taken by Reverend Sandford. Most of the mourners "wept bitterly" as they proceeded from the funeral service to the burial place. "The clergyman uttered the closing words of the burial service in a downpour of hail and rain."


Administration of the will

Ann Holmes, sister of Skinner and wife of asphalter Thomas Holmes, lived in "humble circumstances" in Pearl Street, Sheffield, and thought that Skinner was aged 65 instead of 62 when he died, which raises the question as to whether he and she were estranged. In December 1881, Ann was promised the house and valuables in due course by the police, and given an advance of £5 for mourning clothes and funeral arrangements. On 11 February 1882, administration of Skinner's estate of £726 10s 11d was granted to Ann.


Notes


References


External links


Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society: The Beaver Falls Cutlery Company Merchant Token
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skinner, Thomas Culture in South Yorkshire History of Yorkshire 1819 births 1881 deaths People from Sheffield Deaths by poisoning English etchers English manslaughter victims