Thomas Skinner | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 June 1819 |
| Died | 6 December 1881 (aged 62) 24 Glover Place, Sheffield |
| Resting place | All Saints Church, Ecclesall |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Invention of transfer method of etching on steel blades |
| Spouse | Melinda "Mellond" Mills |
Thomas Skinner (16 June 1819 – 6 December 1881) was an etcher, inventor and amateur oil-painter in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. During the 1840s he invented a method by which the mass production of etched designs on steel blades could be facilitated by means of paper transfers. The British and American patents brought him a good income, but he devoted his life to developing the method. After he was widowed he was killed by arsenic poisoning at the hands of his housekeeper Kate Dover.[1]