Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/397

 SIVITER

SKINNER

greaves. He had a thorough education in Phil- adelphia and studied law under James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was admitted to the bar at Philadelphia, Sept. 3, 1783; was married Nov. 27, 1783, to Franconia Allibone of Philadelphia, and began the practice of his profession in Easton, 1786. He was a mem- ber of the state constitutional convention, 1789- 90, and a representative in the 4th and 5th con- gresses, 1795-99, and U.S. commissioner to Eng- land under the Jay treaty, 1797-99. He was mar- ried a second time in Philadelphia, June 6, 1796, to Maria Angelina, daughter of Daniel Kemper, of New York city. He founded the Easton Library (now "Carnegie Library"), the Easton Bible Society, Trinity Protestant Episcopal cliurch, was the first town clerk of Easton and its most eminent citizen. He defended Senator Wil- liam Blount, accused of instigating the Creeks and Cherokees to aid the British in conquering Spanish territory in Florida, 1797, and John Fries, of Pennsylvania, prosecuted for treason, 1799. He returned to the practice of his profes- sion at Easton in 1800. He was president of the Easton bank, 181.5-27, and a trustee of Lafayette c<jllege. Pa., 1826-27. He died at Easton, Pa., April 4. 1827.

SIVITER, Anna Pierpont, author, was born in I'.iirmont. Va., April 14, 1859; daughter of Gov. Francis Harrison (q.v.) and Julia (Robertson) Pierpont, and granddaughter of Samuel and Dorcas (Piatt) Robertson. Slie was married, June 24, 1886, to William Henry Siviter, editor of the Chronicle Telegraph, Pittsburg, Pa. For two years she edited all the Sunday-school publica- tions of the Methodist Protestant church, and is the author of: Xehe, a tale of the Times of Arta- xerxes (1801), and of various contributions to prominent publications. She was residing in Pittsburg. Pa., in 1903.

SKERRETT, Joseph Salathiel, naval officer, was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, Jan-: 18, 1838. He joined the U.S. navy as midshipman, Oct. 12, 1848; served on the razee Independence on the Mediterranean; was advanced to passed midship- man, June 15, 18.54; master, Sept. 15, 1855, and lieutenant, Sept. 16, 1855. He was ordered to the sloop Saratoga off the African coast, engaged in suppressing the slave trade; took part in the capture of the slaver Nightingale and in 1862 re- turned to the United States and was promoted lieutenant-commander, July 16, 1862. He com- manded the U.S. gunboat Aroostook, of the Western Gulf squadron, and on June 27, 1864, he attacked and demolished the Confederate fortifi- cations at the mouth of the Brazos river, Texas. He was promoted commander, Jan. 9. 1867, and commanded the apprentice-ship Portsmouth, 1867-68. He was on duty at the naval academy,

1868-72; commanded the Macedonian and Sara- toga, 1868-72; the Portsmouth, on a surveying voyage in the Pacific, 1872-75; and in 1873 was in the harbor of Honolulu when the revolution was threatened, and succeeded in quelling the disturbance and placing King Kalakana on the throne. He was promoted captain, June 5, 1878; commanded the flagship Richmond of the Asiatic station, 1881-84; succeeded to the command of the Asiatic station in 1883; was in cliarge of the naval asylum, Philadelphia; was promoted com- modore, Aug. 4, 1889; was commandant at the navy yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 1889-90; com- mander of the Pacific station, 1892-93; and of the Asiatic station, 1893-94. He was promoted rear-admiral, April 16, 1894, and was retired, July 9, 1894. He died in Wasliington, D.C., Dec. 31. 1896.

SKINNER, Aaron Nichols, astronomer, was born in Boston, Mass., Aug. 10, 1845: son of Benjamin Hill and Mercy (Burgess) Skinner; grandson of Benjamin Hill and Mary (Nichols) Skinner and of Ebenezer and Mercy (Hale) Bur- gess, and a descendant in the seventh generation from Thomas Skinner, who came from Chichester England, to Maiden, Mass., as early as 1653; and in the eighth generation from Thomas Burgess who came from England to Salem, Mass., about 16.30. He removed with his parents to Beloit, Wis., in 1862; attended the district schools, and Beloit college. Wis., 180.5-67, taking a special course in astronomy at the University of Cliicago, 1867-70, and acting at the same time as assistant in the Dearborn observatory. He was married, Feb. 9, 1874, to Sarah Elizabeth, daughter of Josiah and Sally (Walker) Gibbs. of Framuig- ham, Mass. He was associated with the U.S. Naval observatory, Washington,

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tant astronomer, 1870-98: as astronomer in charge of the 9-inch transit circle. 1893-98, and from the latter year as professor of mathematics, U.S. navy, succeeding John R. Eastman (q.v.), retired. In 1894-95 Professor Skinner determined the places of 8689 stars in the zone 14° to 18° south declination as a contribution to the great Star Catalogueoi the AstronomischeGesellschaft from 23° degrees south declination to the North