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George Ure Skinner
George Ure skinner (1804 - 1867) was the second son of the Very Rev. John Skinner, dean of Dunkeld and Dunblane. His grandfather was the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and bishop of Aberdeen and his great-grandfather was a well-known ecclesiastical historian of Scotland and one of the best Hebrew and Latin scholars of his era. With such a heritage of scholarly forebears, it is rather curious that young Skinner did not follow the academic trail. His inclinations were entirely different .
George Skinner found himself in the right place at the right time to play a part in the orchid mania sweeping Victorian England. Skinner had taken a post in the Republic of Guatemala and sent back botanical specimens from its vast forests.
When orchids were spotted in a consignment, he was contacted by a horticultural student interested in obtaining new species. Skinner described receiving the letter asking for find more orchids as a kind of rebirth, kindling an interest in the plants that was to last the rest of his life. His trips into the forest resulted in nearly 100 new species being sent back to Britain for description, and many of these species came to bear his name.
Skinner collected orchids for 35 years in Guatemala, but was also responsible for the death of a number of indigenous people whose land he was subjugating. He died of yellow fever waiting for a ship to return him to retirement in England.
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George Skinner
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A Labour of Love
Audio Clip (1:24)
Hear Roebelin, one of Frederick Sander's orchid hunters writing from the Phillipines over 100 years ago and then Tom Hart Dyke (Modern day British orchid hunter), kidnapped and held in South America in 2000) tells his tale.
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