Rev John Skinner was appointed Rector of Camerton, Somerset in 1800. He was a keen antiquarian and a prolific writer, producing over one hundred and thirty manuscript notebooks detailing accounts of his life as a clergyman and his numerous trips to archaeological sites at home and abroad.
Sophie Hawke will discuss her research into the life of Rev Skinner, a man often frustrated by his parishioners, and she will examine a selection of his manuscripts detailing visits to archaeological sites in Bath and the surrounding area, together with an evaluation of Skinner’s contribution to local archaeology.
Sophie Hawke is a long-standing member and former committee member of BACAS. She is currently on placement at The Salisbury Museum as the Finds Liaison Assistant for Wiltshire, supported by the Headley Trust. Sophie has also been a Trustee of Bradford on Avon Museum since 2005, during which time she studied Landscape Archaeology at University of Bristol. With the support of Bradford on Avon Museum and assistance from the Art Fund, Sophie has been researching Rev Skinner’s journals at the British Library.
Painting of John Skinner: from Radstock, Midsomer Norton and District Society Collection at Radstock Museum.