William Forbes Skene

William Forbes Skene (7 June 1809 – 29 August 1892), Scottish historian and antiquary, was the second son of Sir Walter Scott's friend, James Skene (1775–1864), of Rubislaw, near Aberdeen.

He was educated at Edinburgh Academy in Edinburgh and at the University of St Andrews, taking an especial interest in the study of Celtic philology and literature. In 1832, he became a writer to the signet (WS), and shortly afterwards obtained an official appointment in the bill department of the Court of Session, which he held until 1865. His early interest in the history and antiquities of the Scottish Highlands bore its first fruit in 1837, when he published "The Highlanders of Scotland, their Origin, History and Antiquities".

In 1847, during the Highland Potato Famine, he was appointed Secretary to the Central Board for Highland Relief. In this position he worked closely with Sir Charles Trevelyan, Assistant Secretary to the Treasury.

His chief work, however, is his "Celtic Scotland, a History of Ancient Alban" (5 vols., Edinburgh, 1876-1880), perhaps the most important contribution to Scottish history written during the 19th century. In 1879 he was made a Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) of the University of Oxford, and in 1881 Historiographer Royal for Scotland. He died in Edinburgh on August 29, 1892.

The most important of Skene's other works are: editions of John of Fordun's "Chronica genus Scotorum" (Edinburgh, 1871–1872); of the "Four Ancient Books of Wales" (Edinburgh, 1868); of the "Chronicles of the Picts and Scots" (Edinburgh, 1867); and of Adomnán's "Vita S. Columbae" (Edinburgh, 1874); an "Essay on the Coronation Stone of Scone" (Edinburgh, 1869); and "Memorials of the Family of Skene of Skene" (Aberdeen, 1887).

References

*"Skene, William Forbes." "British Authors of the Nineteenth Century" H. W. Wilson Company, New York, 1936.
*1911

External links

*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1837
editor-last=Macbain
editor-first=Alexander
contribution=
title=The Highlanders of Scotland
publisher=Eneas Mackay
publication-date=1902
publication-place=Stirling
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zUkNAAAAIAAJ
*Citation
date=1847
editor-last=Skene
editor-first=William Forbes
editor-link=William Forbes Skene
contribution=
title=Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis, Consisting of Original Papers and Documents Relating to the History of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland
publisher=Thomas G. Stevenson
publication-date=1847
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=U1cJAAAAIAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1862
editor-last=M'Lauchlan
editor-first=Thomas
contribution=Introduction and Additional Notes
title=The Dean of Lismore's Book: A Selection of Ancient Gaelic Poetry
publisher=Edmonston and Douglas
publication-date=1862
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=i-xc, 137-152
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=k9D_sCG3t1cC
*Citation
date=1867
editor-last=Skene
editor-first=William Forbes
editor-link=William Forbes Skene
contribution=
title=Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots, and Other Early Memorials of Scottish History
publisher=Edinburgh General Register House
publication-date=1867
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4DoUAAAAYAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1868
contribution=
title=The Four Ancient Books of Wales
volume=I
publisher=Edmonston and Douglas
publication-date=1868
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=xeEIAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1868
contribution=
title=The Four Ancient Books of Wales
volume=II
edition=
publisher=Edmonston and Douglas
publication-date=1868
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7uEIAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1869
contribution=
title=The Coronation Stone
publisher=Edmonston & Douglas
publication-date=1869
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=JvwHAAAAQAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1869
contribution=
title=The Gododdin Poems
publisher=Forgotten Books
publication-date=2007
publication-place=
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books/p/pub-4297897631756504?id=bZ6ytxW0EwwC
isbn:1605061670
*Citation
last=Skene
first=Felix James Henry
author-link=
last2=Skene
first2=William Forbes
author2-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1872
contribution=
title=John of Fordun's Chronicle of the Scottish Nation
publisher=Edmonston and Douglas
publication-date=1872
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://www.archive.org/details/johnoffordunschr00fordrich
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1884
contribution=
title=The Gospel history for the young, being lessons on the life of Christ adapted for use in families and in Sunday Schools
volume=I
publisher=Douglas
publication-date=1884
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://www.archive.org/details/thegospelhistory01skenuoft
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1884
contribution=
title=The Gospel history for the young, being lessons on the life of Christ adapted for use in families and in Sunday Schools
volume=II
publisher=Douglas
publication-date=1884
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://www.archive.org/details/thegospelhistory02skenuoft
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1884
contribution=
title=The Gospel history for the young, being lessons on the life of Christ adapted for use in families and in Sunday Schools
volume=III
publisher=Douglas
publication-date=1884
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://www.archive.org/details/thegospelhistory03skenuoft
*Citation
date=1887
editor-last=Skene
editor-first=William Forbes
editor-link=William Forbes Skene
contribution=
title=Memorials of the Family of Skene of Skene
publisher=New Spalding Club
publication-date=1887
publication-place=Aberdeen
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XbUEAAAAIAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1886
contribution=
title=Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban (History and Ethnology)
volume=I
edition=2nd
publisher=David Douglas
publication-date=1886
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_kcNAAAAIAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1887
contribution=
title=Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban (Church and Culture)
volume=II
publisher=David Douglas
publication-date=1887
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oJoQAAAAYAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1890
contribution=
title=Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban (Land and People)
volume=III
edition=2nd
publisher=David Douglas
publication-date=1890
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=tDsUAAAAYAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1891
contribution=
title=The Lord's Supper and The Passover Ritual; Being a Translation of the Substance of Professor Bickell's Work Termed "Messe Und Pasha."
publisher=T. & T. Clark
publication-date=1891
publication-place=Edinburgh
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZAIUAAAAYAAJ
*Citation
last=Skene
first=William Forbes
author-link=William Forbes Skene
date=1905
contribution=
title=East Neuk Chronicles
publisher="Aberdeen Journal" and "Evening Express"
publication-date=1905
publication-place=Aberdeen
pages=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5JALAAAAYAAJ