SURNAME ORIGINS:

SKINNER:1897

This is an Anglo-Scottish surname, the origins in both countries being the same. Of all the great  medieval guilds that of the Worshipful Company of Skinners was amongst those of highest honour,  such was the importance of the skill. The derivation is from the Norse-Viking pre 5th century  word "skinn" meaning a hide or pelt, and perhaps not surprisingly the surname is one of the first  recorded as a hereditary occupational name. Early examples of these recordings include Ralph Le  Skinnere, in the deeds of the county of Hertfordshire, England, for the year 1269, whilst in  Scotland Stephan Skynnar is recorded as holding lands in Inverness in 1361. It is said that in the  British directory known as the National Biography there are at least fifteen entries for the  surname of Skinner. Amongst these entries are Bishop Robert Skinner (1591 - 1670), who was  committed to the Tower of London in 1641, but survived to continue preaching into old age, the  Rev. John Skinner (1721 - 1807), who was author, song writer and poet, as well as being a minister  in Aberdeenshire, and a friend of Robert Burns, whilst James Skinner (1778 - 1841), formed the  famous Skinner's Horse, part of the original Indian Army. In the census of the original colony of  Virginia, New England, taken on February 16th 1623, appears the name of John Skinner of London. As  the colony only dated from 1607, this makes him one of the very earliest of all the settlers in  the New World. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England  this was often known as Poll Tax. Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Skinner#ixzz26mrosjZ4 Richard SKINNER was born about 1811, in Dersingham, Norfolk, UK. He and his brother  Charles, a joiner and house carpenter respectively, moved to Sunderland, Durham,  where Richard married Mary Barker in 1832. He died at a relatively early age in 1852.  His grandson, Richard who was born in 1865, also took to roaming England and moved to  Lancashire between 1881-1891. He married Mary Hughes in 1895. His grandson, Ronald.  continued the tradition of moving from one's place of birth. This time Ronald, with  his wife and children emigrated to Australia in 1965.

MOORCROFT: 

This is an early English locational surname, found chiefly in the north and north-western  counties. Any of the various places called 'Moorcroft' in West Yorkshire, or the 'lost' place near  Ormskirk in Lancashire that was called 'Morcroft', could be the original source for the modern  surname. The placename means 'the marsh paddock', the derivation being from the Olde English pre  7th Century word 'mor', meaning marsh or fen, with 'croft', meaning paddock or small-holding.  There are three forms of the modern surname, 'Moorcroft, Moorcraft and Morecraft'. William  Moorcroft (1765 - 1825) was a veterinary surgeon and a great traveller. He was veterinary surgeon  to the Bengal army in 1808, and travelled extensively in India between 1811 and 1825. A Coat of  Arms granted to the Moorcroft family depicts a silver ass, saddled, bridled and caparisoned red,  between three gold marigolds, all on a black shield. The first recorded spelling of the family  name is shown to be that of Richard de Morcroft, which was dated 1366, The Lancashire Subsidy  Rolls, during the reign of King Edward 111, The Father of the Navy, 1327 - 1377. Surnames became  necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax.

MCGILL:

The surname McGILL was actually GILL, and the earliest persons researched with this  name were born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, UK but some family members changed the  surname to the former during the 19th century.

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PERSONS WHO DIED IN WORLD WARS:

BRIGHOUSE, John.(1899 - 9/10/1917), Private, Lancashire Fusiliers, West Vlaanderen, Belgium. BRODERICK, Robert Middleton.(1893 - 10/8/1915), Corporal, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Gallipolli. LINGARD, Frederick William Harold.(1899 - 2/8/1917), Private, A.I.F. Ypres, Belgium. LINGARD, George.(1884 - 8/9/1916), Corporal, The King's (Liverpool Regiment), Thiepval, France. MARCHMENT, Charles.(1892 - 25/12/1917), Able Seaman, RN Reserve, At sea. MARCHMENT, Robert.(1894 - 12/4/1918), Lance Serjeant, Lancashire Fusiliers, Arras, France. MARSHMENT, Matthew Francis.(1915 - 23/4/1945), Private, New Zealand Infantry, Bari, Italy. SKINNER, John Kenneth.(1918 - 23/8/1945), Bandsman, The Loyal Regiment Lancashire, Changi,  Singapore.
 SKINNER, Richard.(1899 - 5/5/1942), Boatswain, Merchant Navy, Bermuda. WATKINS, Joseph Herbert. (1897-26/11/1916), Private, A.I.F. 39th Bn, France WILSON, John Edward.(1883 - 9/5/1918), Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery, Pernes, France.

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