Skene, John

Biography

Could be Sir John Skene of Curriehill, Lord Chief Register, 6th son of James Skene of Wester Corse. Educated at possibly Aberdeen Grammar School 1549, then King's Coll., incorporated St Mary's Coll., St Andrews 1556. Regent, St Andrews, 1565. Spent 7 years in Europe, c.1567-74, studying law at Paris, visiting Switzerland, Poland and Scandanavia before settling at Wittenberg. Admitted advocate, Edinburgh 1575. Sent on a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany 1590. Appointed lord advocate 1590. Lord clerk-registrar and lord of session, 1594. Commissioner of exchequer 1596. Part of the commission to review and print acts of parliament and other laws, published 1597. Knighted 1604. Commissioner for the proposed union with England 1604. Called to the English bar 1605. Edited and published for the first time the Regiam Majestatem, 1609. Died 1617. His library survived at Mar Lodge, Braemar until the 1920s, but has since been dispersed.

Biography Date

c.1543-1617

Biography References

Prov. Reg. Notes (Bibliog. Aberd. I p.101); LOC; CERL; DNB; Drummond 307;

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