4JU BURKE'S COLONIAL GENTRY. of Hornings, whose son, John, d. ■without issue. vrr. Duncan (Mr.), of Balnabrieeh. In 1559 " incorporated in St. Mary's College, St. Andrews," d. num. viri. Thomas (Mr.), was first a writer, afterwards in Holy Orders. IX. Andrew, was in 1564 a burgess of Aberdeen. In 1571 he settled in Many, near the northern boundary of Bel- kelrie. X. Patrick, d. s.p. (" Mr." was a designation confined at that time exclusively to Masters of Arts.) James Skene in Bandodle led his nephew's retainers to the battle of Pinkie, and was slain there in 1547. His 4th son, Robert Skene, of Belhelvie, was, on lat October, 1571, admitted as a burgess of Aberdeen. In 1572 he appears amongst the absentees in the burgess roll, his reason being tliat he had now settled in Belhelvie. Through the centre of the barony of Bel- helvie a stream flows through a ravine past the present Belhelvie Lodge. It rises in the farm of Craigies, and passes through Whytecairns, Overhill, Old Overtown, Upper Potterton, Mylne of Potterton, and Mylne- den, where it falls into the sea, and south of Mylneden along the shore were the farms of Fife and Blackdog. These farms, with the exception of Craigies, were the possessions of the Skenes in Belhelvie. The Mylne of Potterton, with Overhill and Old Overtown, was then known as the Overmylne, and Mylneden as the Nether Mylne. Robert Skene possessed the former. He was twice married. By his 1st wife, a daughter of David Adie, merchant, burgess of Aberdeen, by Isobel Forbes, his wife, he had issue, I. Robert. II. Gilbert. III. David, ancestor of the Skenes oe RuBlSLAW (see Burke's Landed Gen- tn,). IV. John, appears in Potterton on the 9th July, 1595, and on 12th March, 1598, in Whytecairns. He is last mentioned in 1599, and appears to have d. without issue. V. Thomas, appears to have s. his brother John in the occupation of Whyte- cairns, and in 1626 there is mention of Gilbert Skene in Whytecairns. His successor was Pateick Skene, of whom hereafter. I. Violet, m. in 1602, John Forbes. Robert Skene m. secondly, 6th July, 1574, Margrett Forbes, and by her had one son and one daughter, Tl. James, who became servitor to his uncle. Sir John Skene of Curriehill. II. Janet. He d. before the year 1597, probably in 1593. Patrick Skene, Esq., above-mentioned, who s. to Whytecairns, d. in 1704, leaving three sons, I. James, of whom presently. II. Andrew, of Whytecairns, m. 8th July, 1704, Elizabeth Perry, and hud a son, John, b. 12th April, 1710, and a diughter, Margaret. III. Patrick, merchant, settled in Old Aberdeen, and m. 17th June, 1701, Elspeth Rhind, heiress of Thomas Rhind, merchant, by whom he had, 1. George, b. 1706 ; and 2. Thomas, of Old Aberdeen, merchant, b. 17th Jan- uai'y, 1713 ; in 1774 served heir to his mother; was one of the magistrates of Old Aberdeen, and was well known as Bailie Skene of the Auldtown; d. s.p. 1797. The eldest son, James Skene, Esq., removed in 1707 to the farm of Blackdog, leaving Whytecairns to his brother Andrew. He had issue, I. Patrick, of whom presently. II. Alexander, b. in Whytecairns, 16th March, 1701 ; d. in April, 1703. III. Thomas, b. in Blackdog, 16th Octo- ber, 1707. I. Isobel, b. in Whytecairns, 8th April, 1703. II. Jean, b. in Blackdog, 22nd Novem- ber, 1709. III. Margaret, b. in Blackdog, 25th May, 1712. IV. Elizabeth, b. in Blackdog, 24th Octo- ber, 1714. The eldest son, Patrick Skene, Esq. of Blackdog, b. in Whytecairns, 9th July, 1699. He was s. by his son,
- Thomas Skene, Esq. of Blackdog, who had
two sons, Thomas, of whom presently, and Alexander, major Royal Veteran Battalion, father of Alexander John Skene, Esq., M.A., of St. Kilda, Melbourne, sometime surveyor- general of Victoria (see next article). The elder son.
- Thomas Skene of Blackdog succeeded
Bailie Skene of the Auldtown, who was his second cousin, and got a Bible, known as the " Dyce Bible," from him. This Bible, now in the possession of Thomas Skene, of Marnoo, Victoria, was printed in 1599, and contains records of the Dyce branch of the family dating as far back as 1630. William Forbes Skene, Esq., LL.D., D.C.L., of Rubislaw, Her Majesty's historiographer for Scotland, <&c., erroneously attributes the MS. in this Bible to Jon Skene, laird of Dyce 1704-1729, and liis mother, Anna Johnston of Kaskiben, whereas it was written by Patrick Skene, sixth son of Alexander Skene, laird of Dyce 1665-1704, and brother to the Jon Skene before men- tioned, a portion of it being a " Copey of Liens," written by the said Jon Skene and the said Anna Johnston. It was Patrick, b. 1674, and not Jon, who went to Lublin, in Poland, in 1690, and who recorded his mar- riage, and various other particulars of his life there, in the Bible.
