Background
Cyriack Skinner was the third son of William Skinner, a Lincolnshire squire who died in 1627. His mother was Bridget Coke, daughter of the famous jurist Sir Edward Coke.
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Cyriack Skinner
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Skinner was admitted to Lincoln"s Inn on 31 July 1647, and became a lawyer by profession. He came to live near Milton in 1654, and probably began to help the poet at that time. After the Rump Parliament had been reconstituted in 1659 following the death of Oliver Cromwell, Skinner joined the Rota Club.
Skinner would have kept Milton informed of the progress of these discussions.
He remained close to Milton during the difficult period that followed the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, and was present at Milton"s death bed in 1674. Cyriack Skinner has been identified as author of the anonymously published book The Life of Mr.
John Milton, an important source of first-hand information on the poet. Milton"s later assistant Daniel Skinner may have been his relative, notable for first attempting to publish some of Milton"s state papers, then attempting to suppress them.
Two of Milton"s are addressed to Skinner:
Sonnet XVIII
Sonnet XXII.
