Cortlandt Skinner
Encyclopedia
Cortlandt Skinner was the last Royal Attorney General of New Jersey
and a Brigadier General
in the loyalist
forces during the American War of Independence
.
of New Jersey
in 1754 and also acted as speaker of the provincial Assembly between 1765 and 1770 and between 1772 and 1776. Sources differ as to his conduct as Attorney-General of New Jersey, but his general reputation was one of integrity and ability.
. But the enlistments of common soldiers were slow. After several months of active exertions, the whole number of men who had rallied under his standard was but one thousand one hundred and one. Skinner continued in command of the corps, with the rank of Brigadier General
.
At the outbreak of hostilities in the colonies he was offered by the rebels the pick of all civilian and military posts. In January 1776 he fled having received an intercepted letter authorising his arrest.
Skinner was one of the three current or past speakers of colonial assemblies, who actively opposed American independence. Upon his appointment as brigadier-general in the British army on 4 September 1776 he recruited the largest of the loyalist units in the British army. The 2000 men of his New Jersey volunteers mercilessly harassed their rebel opponents throughout the war from New York's defensive outposts on Staten Island throughout 1783. Skinner was one of the three highest ranking loyalists to fight in the war.
by stress of weather. He himself followed after the evacuation of New York
. His claim to compensation for his losses as a Loyalist was difficult to adjust, and caused the Commissioners much labour ; but an allowance was finally made; and he also received the half-pay of a Brigadier-General during his life. He died at Bristol
, England, in 1799, aged seventy-one. He is buried in St. Augustine's Church, Bristol.
. They had numerous children, including Cortlandt Skinner Jr. and Maria Skinner, who married General George Nugent MP (later Field-Marshal).
New Jersey Attorney General
The Attorney General of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state. The office is appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and term limited...
and a Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
forces during the American War of Independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Origins
Skinner was born on 16 December 1727 at Perth Amboy, Middlesex county, New Jersey, British North America, the eldest son of the Reverend William Skinner. and Elizabeth Cortland (the daughter of Stephanus Van Cortland, the first native born mayor of New York). There was a firm family tradition that William Skinner (later the Rector of St. Peter's Church in Perth Amboy) had participated in one of the Jacobite risings, and was related to the chiefs of the Clan Gregor - changing his name from MacGregor to avoid the persecution inflicted upon all those of that name.Legal and political career
Skinner studied law at Newark while clerking for David Ogden, a member of the governor's council, and then began practising at Perth Amboy. At the age of twenty-seven, he was appointed Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1754 and also acted as speaker of the provincial Assembly between 1765 and 1770 and between 1772 and 1776. Sources differ as to his conduct as Attorney-General of New Jersey, but his general reputation was one of integrity and ability.
Military career
As a prominent loyalist, Skinner accepted service under the Crown in 1776, and was authorized to raise a corps, to consist of two thousand five hundred men. He was allowed to nominate his own officers. Three battalions were organized and officered, and called the New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)
The New Jersey Volunteers was a British provincial regiment raised for service during the American Revolutionary War.-Regimental history:...
. But the enlistments of common soldiers were slow. After several months of active exertions, the whole number of men who had rallied under his standard was but one thousand one hundred and one. Skinner continued in command of the corps, with the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
.
At the outbreak of hostilities in the colonies he was offered by the rebels the pick of all civilian and military posts. In January 1776 he fled having received an intercepted letter authorising his arrest.
Skinner was one of the three current or past speakers of colonial assemblies, who actively opposed American independence. Upon his appointment as brigadier-general in the British army on 4 September 1776 he recruited the largest of the loyalist units in the British army. The 2000 men of his New Jersey volunteers mercilessly harassed their rebel opponents throughout the war from New York's defensive outposts on Staten Island throughout 1783. Skinner was one of the three highest ranking loyalists to fight in the war.
Later life
His wife and family embarked for England in the summer of 1783, in the Le Solitaire, and were forced into HalifaxCity of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
by stress of weather. He himself followed after the evacuation of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His claim to compensation for his losses as a Loyalist was difficult to adjust, and caused the Commissioners much labour ; but an allowance was finally made; and he also received the half-pay of a Brigadier-General during his life. He died at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England, in 1799, aged seventy-one. He is buried in St. Augustine's Church, Bristol.
Family
In 1751, he married Elizabeth Kearney (1731-1810), the daughter of Philip Kearney, of Perth Amboy, New JerseyPerth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
. They had numerous children, including Cortlandt Skinner Jr. and Maria Skinner, who married General George Nugent MP (later Field-Marshal).