SKENE, Robert (1719-87), of Hallyards, Fife.

Skene stood for Fife in 1776 with the support of John, 5th Duke of Argyll, but, by a compromise, gave his interest to James Townsend Oswald against John Henderson.NLS, Melville mss 1, f. 6. On Oswald’s resignation in 1779 he was returned, but unseated in February 1780 on Henderson’s petition, as being disqualified by his office of inspector of roads. Having resigned his office to his brother,Skene to Ld. Balgony, 21 Feb. 1780, Leven and Melville mss 13, f. 167, SRO. he was returned at the general election of 1780, and supported North’s Administration until its fall. Although he did not vote on the peace preliminaries in February 1783, in March he was listed by John Robinson among Shelburne’s friends. He supported the Coalition; voted for Fox’s East India bill; and was counted in December 1783 among Pitt’s opponents, but was absent through illness for the remainder of the session.

Robinson hoped that in a new Parliament he would ‘very properly’ follow Administration. ‘If not’, he wrote, ‘an opposition may easily be given him.’Laprade, 101. But though opposed by Henderson and the Dundas interest, Skene was re-elected, and continued to vote against the Government until his death. In Parliament he was regarded as something of an authority on road bills,Dunglass mss 453. but no speech by him is known. He died 19 May 1787.