John Crossland Skinner was born on 2 June 1850, the son of John Parker Skinner (1819-1888) and Sarah Jane Crossland (1830-1894).  His father was a die sinker and silversmith’s manager.   John C. Skinner partnered his brother, James Parker Skinner, in Skinner Bros until 1873.  He was next listed as a manufacturer of pen, pocket, champagne, and sportsman’s knives (and glass and china dealer) at Charlotte Street Works.  By 1879, he had moved to Trippet Lane Works.   However, after about 1880 he became a Liberal registration agent and the ‘organiser of Sheffield Liberalism’ (Sheffield Local Register).   Later he worked as a company liquidator.  His trade mark was a Stradivarius violin, which was issued in 1873 and later acquired and used with great effect by Ibberson.  He was a Wesleyan Methodist (Sheffield & District Who’s Who, 1905).  John C. Skinner, Ivy Park Road, died on 13 May 1934, leaving £22,647.