George Skene d.1797

George SKENE d.1797

Biographical Note

George Skene was the Scottish Episcopal incumbent at Blacklunans (1750-54), Forfar (1754-1797), and the Dean of Dunkeld from 1786 to 1797.

Books

On his death Skene bequeathed his library to the library of the diocese of Brechin. They remained for some time with his successor, the Rev. Skinner, at his house in Forfar, and did not enter the diocesan library until 1830.

The synod minutes for the diocese of Brechin record that "When inspecting the said books it appeared that the library already contained copy of all, with the exceptions of Irenaeus [Irenaeus against Heresies], Marshall’s Cyprian, Hilari Opera, & Justin Martyrs...It was the opinion of the meeting that the duplicates should be sold, and the money received for them laid out in the purchase of new standard works" (BrMS 4/1/1/2)."

Skene favoured the Church fathers, and owned sixteenth-century folio editions, printed in Paris.

Characteristic Markings

Inscirbed his books with "Geo: Skene" and a motto in Greek

Sources

• Bertie, David M. Scottish Episcopal Clergy 1689–2000, Edinburgh, T & T Clark, 2000
• Br MS 4/1/1/2, Synod Minutes, 1817-1848, University of Dundee Archives
• A catalogue of the library of the Right Rev. Mr William Falconar, late one of the episcopal clergymen in Edinburgh; which begins to be sold by auction, at his house, Fountain Close, Nether Bow... Edinburgh, 1784, ESTC T163710
• Rutherford, Mhairi. 'Intellectual Culture and Episcopal Identity in Scottish Episcopal Libraries: The Case of the Brechin Library, 1780–1880,' unpublished PhD thesis, University of Stirling, 2022