Captain John Skinner and the age of the steam yacht : a biography, his life and times 1861-1928 : from miller's boy to master mariner.

Tells the story of John Skinner, son of Charles Skinner and Susanna Burden, and grandson of William Skinner. From Lytchett Minster near Poole in Dorset, the Skinners were originally agricultural labourers who later worked in the clay industry. John Skinner worked initially as a miller but by 1881 he was describing himself as a mariner. Skinner's career is traced through merchant navy records as he progressed to Mate and then Master Mariner, making the move from commercial and cargo vessels to luxury steam yachts for pleasure cruising. The owners were often titled and wealthy and included Richard Clifford Smith during the Edwardian Era and latterly Montague Grahame-White. A personal family history set against the wider context of social history and maritime industry developments.