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The plaque is in St Lawrence's Church, Frodingham, Scunthorpe. I had a chat with the churchwarden, who said that she could remember Skinners attending services at the church, and one had been a school teacher. There'd been a son, who went to America, and possibly a daughter, but she thought that the family had died out in Scunthorpe.

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....In Tuesday morning's papers the report that Private Fred Skinner was said to be seriously ill at Bloemfontein caused much anxiety on the part of his parents and friends, as he was one of the Volunteers sent out from here. This morning the news came as a sad blow that he had died of enteric on the 12th. He was one of the smartest of the men sent out from this district.
Hull Daily Mail, Wednesday 15th August 1900......The Lindsey and Lincolnshire Star, Saturday 18th August, published essentially the same report.


Extract from a letter sent home to Scunthorpe from Pretoria by Private W. S. Barley, on the 6th August 1900 :—
"Tom Hockney has been promoted to be lance-corporal. Fred Skinner went into hospital, and has been sent down-country. I was in hospital a fortnight. Charlesworth had dysentery, but is better. The others are all right."


In Brumby Cemetery, Scunthorpe, is the grave of Fanny, a sister of Fred, but I don't know if their parents are also buried there. Her inscription is: "Fanny Mary, the beloved daughter of Thomas Charles and Maria Elizabeth Skinner, of Frodingham, who died February 7th, 1898, aged 23 years." The stone is sinking into the ground and has almost obscured the name of Fred. I was able to move loose earth to show his name, but the lines below are now concealed by solid earth. From a photo on the Imperial War Museum's website, some of the inscription reads :—



Also in St Lawrence's Church, and adjacent to Fred's plaque, is a memorial tablet to his younger brother, 312 Lance Corporal Albert Victor Emmanuel Skinner, of the1st/5th Lincolnshire Regiment.



Oddly, although I can find both the birth and death records of Fanny Mary Skinner (her mother's maiden name was Close) in the Glanford Brigg registration district, I can't find birth records for either Frederick Arthur Skinner or Albert Victor Emmanuel Skinner, in any registration district. There was a John Henry Skinner, whose mother's maiden name was Close, registered in Glanford Brigg in 1881. (Also a Charles Marshall Skinner, mother's maiden name Close, born in Lincoln in 1879.)

Hello Berenice
On checking Fred's medal roll pertaining to the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.
I found his number 6568. 3 clasps Johannesburg, Cape Colony and Orange Free State.
He was a smelter by trade. Enlisted on Christmas day 1900.
I think he may have been born in Retford Nottinghamshire.
Father's initials look like T C. although his personal effects were left to a Mr Fowler.
Maybe try the Nottingham angle?.
I think we need to delve a little deeper. I'll have a more in depth search later today.

Dave, I see a Fred Skinner, birth recorded in the East Retford registration district, third quarter of 1873, mother's maiden name was Powell. No other male Skinners recorded as being born in Retford between 1858-90.

Personal effects entry reference Retford.
Cannot find any info regarding Frederick's birth.
Albert Victor Skinner was born in Scunthorpe on 6th May 1889
He was baptised on the 15th December 1889 at Saint John's Scunthorpe.
Albert served in th 5th Battalion Lincolnshire regiment.
He was a Lance Corporal number 312. After his death his pension was forwarded to his mother Maria Elizabeth Skinner at 30 Redbourne Street New Frodingham Lincolnshire.
Looking at the 1881 census with reference to Maria Elizabeth Skinner..Nee Green she was born in Worksop. Fanny's sister Miriam Close Skinner has an entry on a Ancestry family tree as being born in Retford, and resided in Scunthorpe. But I agree with you, reference Fred...no birth details for him at present. But there is Nottingham connection associated with the Skinner family in my humble opinion. Possible skeleton in a distant cupboard may be the answer to Frederick's birth

Dave F wrote:

Personal effects entry reference Retford.
Cannot find any info regarding Frederick's birth.
Albert Victor Skinner was born in Scunthorpe on 6th May 1889
He was baptised on the 15th December 1889 at Saint John's Scunthorpe.
Albert served in th 5th Battalion Lincolnshire regiment.
He was a Lance Corporal number 312. After his death his pension was forwarded to his mother Maria Elizabeth Skinner at 30 Redbourne Street New Frodingham Lincolnshire.
Looking at the 1881 census with reference to Maria Elizabeth Skinner..Nee Green she was born in Worksop. Fanny's sister Miriam Close Skinner has an entry on a Ancestry family tree as being born in Retford, and resided in Scunthorpe. But I agree with you reference Fred...no birth details for him at present. But there is Nottingham connection associated with the Skinner family in my humble opinion. Possible skeleton in a distant cupboard may be the answer to Frederick's birth

Births registered in East Retford -
Fred Skinner, third quarter of 1873, mother's maiden name Powell
Ellen Skinner, first quarter of 1875, mother's maiden name Powell
Miriam Close Skinner, first quarter of 1877, mother's maiden name Close

5-6 miles between Retford and Worksop. Perhaps Maria Elizabeth Green/Skinner, living in Scunthorpe, adopted a Retford relative's (Powell/Skinner) children if someone had died?

Edit - Harriet Skinner, died at Worksop, first quarter of 1878, aged 29?