George Skene (politician)
{{Short description|Scottish soldier and politician (1749–1825)}}
{{about||the Scottish professor and co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|George Skene (physician)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
File:46 to 48 Moray Place, Edinburgh.JPG
George Skene (9 May 1749 – 27 April 1825),{{Rayment-hc|a|1|date=March 2012}}{{Rayment-hc|e|1|date=March 2012}} of Skene, was a Scottish army officer and politician.
Life
The eldest son of George Skene of Skene, George the younger was educated for the law, and became an advocate at the Scottish bar, although he never practised. He subsequently entered the army, and rose to the rank of captain in the 81st Highlanders in 1781, the year he succeeded his father in the estate of Skene.
Skene was a committed Whig and supporter of Charles James Fox. He was elected as the member of parliament (MP) for Aberdeenshire at a by-election in 1786, defeating the Tory James Ferguson,{{cite book
|last=Stooks Smith
|first=Henry.
|editor=Craig, F. W. S.
|editor-link=F. W. S. Craig
|title=The Parliaments of England
|origyear=1844–1850
|edition=2nd
|year=1973
|publisher=Parliamentary Research Services
|location=Chichester
|isbn=0-900178-13-2
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/parliamentsofeng0000smit/page/615 615–616]
}}
but declined to contest the latter for the seat in 1790. He briefly returned to Parliament, representing Elgin Burghs, from 1806 to 1807.
His "violent" Whiggery and alcoholism much impaired his political career, but he remained influential in the public affairs of Aberdeenshire, in part due to his pleasant manner. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his brother Alexander Skene, who was deaf, dumb, and nearly blind; upon Alexander's death two years later, an entail enacted by George brought the Skene estates to his nephew, the Earl Fife.
At the end of his life he was living at 46 Moray Place in the fashionable Moray Estate on the west side of Edinburgh.{{Cite web|url=http://digital.nls.uk/83401683|title=Edinburgh Post Office annual directory, 1832-1833|website=National Library of Scotland|access-date=2018-01-18}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
- {{cite book | title=Memorials of the Family of Skene of Skene | editor=William Forbes Skene | editor-link=William Forbes Skene | year=1887 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/memorialsoffamil00sken/page/45 45]–47 | publisher=Aberdeen, Printed for the New Spalding Club | url=https://archive.org/details/memorialsoffamil00sken | accessdate=1 December 2007}}
External links
- {{Hansard-contribs | mr-george-skene | George Skene }}
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{{succession box | title=Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire | before=Alexander Garden | after=James Ferguson | years=1786–1790}}
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{{succession box | title=Member of Parliament for Elgin Burghs | before=Francis Ogilvy-Grant | after=Archibald Campbell-Colquhoun | years=1806–1807}}
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Category:81st Regiment of Foot (Aberdeenshire Highland Regiment) officers
Category:Whig (British political party) MPs for Scottish constituencies
Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies