William Skinner

William Skinner (December 25, 1728 – January 26, 1798) was a Province of North Carolina official, planter and brigadier general in Edenton District Brigade of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolution.

Life story William was born on December 25, 1728, in Perquimans County, Province of North Carolina. He was the son of Richard Skinner and Sarah Creecey. He first married the widow Sarah Gale Corprew on May 28, 1752, and they had four known children-William Gale, Penelope, Elizabeth, and Lavinia. He married a second time to the widow Dorothy Black McDonald, and they had two known children-William and Caroline. He owned several farms in Perquimans County and was a slave owner. He died on January 26, 1798, in Perquimans County, North Carolina. He was buried at the General Williams Skinner cemetery in the Yeopim section of Perquimans County, on a farm four or five miles from the town of Hertford. Brigadier General over the Edenton District Brigade of the North Carolina militia (1777-1779), The North Carolina General Assembly appointed him on December 20, 1777, to replace Brigadier General Edward Vail, Sr., who had died in June 1777. General Skinner resigned his commission on May 9, 1779.

His statement about why he resigned his commission was "As my experience in military matters is very small, my continuing in that office might, perhaps, be a public injury, as well as fatal to those whose lives might in a manner depend on my conduct. For these reasons I take the liberty at this time of resigning that appointment which I heretofore with reluctance accepted."