Robert Skinner

second Son of Edm. Skinner Rector of Pitchford or Pisford in Northamptonshire, (by Bridget his Wife Daughter of Humph. Radcliff of Warwickshire) Son of Thomas Skinner of the Parish of Ledbury in Herefordshire, and he the Son of Stephen, was born at Pisford, educated in Grammar learning in a School at Brixworth near to that place, admitted Scholar of Trinity Coll, an. 1607, aged 16 years, and six years after Fellow, he being then Bach. of Arts. Afterwards proceeding in his faculty, he took holy Orders, and became a noted Tutor in the Coll, and some of his Pupils proved afterwards men of note, as Will. Chillingworth, Rich. Newdigale a Judge, &c. In 1621 he was admitted to the reading of the sentences, and afterwards going to London was unexpectedly chose Preacher of S. Gregories Church near S. Pauls Cathedral, where preaching twice every Sunday for nine years, obtained love, honour and applause, especially from the Puritans. When Dr. Laud became Bishop of London, he caused him to be sworn Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty, and endeavoured to take him off from the principles that he then professed, was made Rector of Launton near Bister in Oxfordshire and Minister of Greensnorton. In the month of July or thereabouts, an. 1636 he being elected Bishop of Bristow, was, as Bishop elect of that place, diplomated Doctor of Div. of this University, on the 13 of August the same year, and having the temporalities thereof given ((f))((f)) Pat. 12. Car. 1. p. 5. to him on the 20 of January following, had liberty allowed to him to keep Launton and Greensnorton in Commendam with the said See. In the beginning of 1641 he was translated to the See of Oxon, on the death of Dr. Bancroft, and soon after being one of the twelve Bishops that subscribed a Protestation in behalf of themselves against the immoderate Proceedings of the Parl. then sitting, was impeached by the members thereof of High Treason, and committed Prisoner to the Tower of London, where continuing 18 weeks to his great charge, was, upon bail, released: Whereupon retiring to his Rectory of Launton, which he kept also in commendam with Oxon, lived there retiredly, and submitted so much to the men of those times, that he kept the said Rectory, when the rest of his Spiritualities were lost, meerly, as ’twas supposed, for the bare maintenance of himself and children; in which time, he did usually, as ’tis said, read the Common Prayer, and confer Orders according to the Ch. of Engl. After his Maj. return in 1660, he was restored to his Bishoprick, became one of his Maj. Commissioners of the Univ. of Ox. for the visiting and rectifying it then much out of order, but was not translated to a richer See which he much expected, occasion’d by a great and potent enemy at Court, who maligned him because of his submission in some part to the Usurpers. In the month of Oct. 1663 he was translated to the See of Worcester upon the removal of Dr. Earle to that of Sarum, where he became esteemed more by his many Tenants, than family or friends, because of his goodness as a Landlord. He died in sixteen hundred and seventy,1670. and was buried in a Chappel at the east end of the Choir of the Cath. Ch. at Worcester. Over his grave was soon after laid a flat marble stone, with this inscription engraven thereon. H. I. E. Rev. in Ch. Pater ac Dom. Robertus Skinner Coll. S. Trinitatis Oxon Socius, Carolo primo Britanniarum Monarchae à sacris, Doctoratum in SS. Theologiâ almae Matris diplomate oblatum sine ambitu cepit. A Rectoriâ Launton Dioeceseos Oxon ad Episcopatum Bristoliensem evocatus, (tantus ecclesiae filius meruit cito fieri parens) mox ad sedem Oxoniensem translatus. Turre Londinensi à Perduellibus diu incarceratus, tam sine culpâ, quam examine exivit. A Carolo II. ad sedem Vigorniensem promotus, postquam Presbyteris sanciendis assuetam dextram sufficiendis Praesulibus mutuam dedisset (eorumꝫ quinꝫ à suo collegio 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) omnibus ante sacrilegam usurpationem Episcopus superstes. Junii 14. A. D. 1670 Octogenarius ad summam animarum Episcopum ascendit, prius gratiâ, nunc gloriâ consecratus. While he lived in the times of Usurpation he was supposed to be the sole Bish. that confer’d Orders, and after his Majesties return an hundred and three persons did at once take holy Orders from him in the Abbey Ch. at Westm, and very many frequently in his respective Dioceses where he successively sate: so that at his death, it was computed that he had sent more Labourers into the Vineyard, than all the brethren he then left behind him had done. He hath extant, A sermon preached before the King at Whitehall, 3 Dec. on Psal. 96.9. Lond. 1634. qu. and another preached in S. Gregories Ch. 1628, which I have not yet seen.