William Skinner

William Skinner (d. 1834) was a prominent banker in Stephen Street, Bristol, residing for many years at Ashley Place. He was a leading member of the Independent congregation (the “Little Church”) that worshiped with the Baptist congregation at Broadmead (see letter 80). He signed as one of the Brethren of the Independent congregation in the calling of Robert Hall as assistant minister to Broadmead on 12 October 1783. Mary Skinner, his wife, signed as one of the “sisters.”  According to the Broadmead Church Book for Thursday 8 October 1801, “At xi o’clock in the morn.g Bror Page began divine Service w.th singing, readg & prayer, the Pastor preached from Luke xii. 50. “I have a B.m [baptism] wherewith to be B.d [baptized] and how am I straightened till it be accomplished.” After w.ch a hymn was sung while the Candidates prepared for B.m and the Ord.ce was administer’d to the following persons, six Men to join Bmd & one who remains at Tabernacle & ten Women.” The names were Mr. Morgan, Short, Shrive, Pring, Thomas Edmonds, another Mr. Morgan (a member of Tabernacle, nephew to Mrs. Fido), and Mr William Merrick, Jr. Ryland comments in the margin, “It was a pleasant & solemn Season   Blessed by God!”  He then adds at the bottom of the page: “Mrs Skinner was B.d more privately yesterday afternoon—She joins the [Independent] Church with her husband.”  They were received into the church on Sunday 11 October. An entry in the Church Book for the Broadmead Independent Church, 1757-1818, for 11 October 1801 reads:  “Mr Will.m Skinner and Mrs Mary Skinner returned to this Church, having for some years withdrawn to the Church in Castle Green.” A note in parentheses adds, “on acc.o of the assistant minister being a materialist.”Many years later, when the congregation at Broadmead during the ministry of Robert Hall decided to organize more completely as a separate church body, the members of the Independent congregation met together on 20 January 1830 and chose two deacons—William Skinner and Charles Reed. A later entry, for 24 June 1834, reads: “Died Mr Wm Skinner an aged and highly respected Deacon of this Church, who after a long and exemplary Christian course, was gathered like a shock of Corn, fully ripe for his Masters use” (f. 22). Skinner was a solid supporter of the BMS, joining with two other men in January 1809 to provide funds for three missionaries independently of the Society. See Broadmead Church Book, 1779-1817, f. 38; Broadmead Independent Church Book, 1830-1853 (MS., Bristol Record Office, Bd/M2/2), f. 3; Cox, History, 1:181, 227, 299-300; see also a letter from Kreeshnoo in Calcutta to Skinner in Bristol, June 1812, in Periodical Accounts, 5:110-113.