The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

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James Skeen ( - fl. c. 1703)

Ship surgeon. According to Murphy, the "West African specimens such as the shells, insects, and plants Skeen collected in Ouidah and Cape Three Points were likely gathered during the months a typical slave ship spent along the West African coast, visiting multiple ports and buying slaves along the way (644. See also passim). Relevant locations: Visited Jamaica, West Indies
Visited Gold Coast, Africa
 Relationships: James Skeen was a associate or acquaintance (general) of James Petiver (c. 1665-Apr 1718)

Mr. Watt (-fl. 1690s) was a associate or acquaintance (general) of James Skeen
Linked print sources: as Mentions or references - Collecting Slave Traders: James Petiver, Natural History, and the British Slave Trade.
 References in Documents:
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 837. Pectunculus Jamaicensis striis ferè muricatis. P. tenuis modo ruber, modo citrinus, striis nunc ex parte, nunc ex toto muricatis List. H. C. l. 3. Tab. 322. Fig. 159. Mr. Rattry and Mr. Skeen, Surgeons, have brought me this shell from Jamaica, I have also had it from Carolina. It differs in magnitude. I have it of the bigness of Dr. Lister's Figure, and others much less.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 852. Adhatoda è Promont. Tricuspidato folio majore, floribus verticilli modo densè stipatis. This and the following were gathered at Cape tres Puntas, near Cape-Coast in Guinea, by Mr. Skeen, Surgeon.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 871. Arum Widense Sagittariæ facie, pediculis ferè spinosis. Gathered at Wida in Guinea by Mr. Skeen, Surgeon.
Petiver, Musei Petiveriani (1695-1703) 23. Mr. JAMES SKEEN, Surgeon, was pleased to present me with three of four Books of Plants, with such Shells and Insects as he and Mr. WATT, Surgeon, deceased, had observed at Cape tres Puntas and Wida on the Coast of Guinea.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) 7. Gramen Lagopoides GUINEENSE, spica longa nutante Musei nostri 238. This Grass hath Spikes upright as well as bending, particularly while they are young, as I have lately observed in several Specimens Collected by Mr. Watt and Mr. Skeen Surgeons at Cape 3 Puntas on the Coast of Guinnea.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) 5. Unicornu WIDENSE nodosum & verrucosum. an Buccinum fuscum, nodosis striis distinctum List. H. C. L. 2. Tab. 122. Fig. 18. Observed at WIDA on the Coast of Guinnea, by Mr. Wat Surgeon, and given me by Mr. Skeen. Mr. John Kirckwood hath also found it at Old Calabar.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) 10. Papilio albus Angolensis apicibus miniaceis. Mr. John Kirckwood first brought me this from Angola, it hath since been caught at Wida, by Mr. Watt and Mr. Skeen Surgeons.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) 10. Papilio è fusco & albo eleganter mixto, à Promontorio Tricuspidato. Caught at Cape tres puntas on the Coast of Guinea by Mr. Skeen, Surgeon.
Petiver, Gazophylacii Naturæ (1702-1706) Cape Animals and Plants, &c. 91 439 Cape Feather Legs 12. 1. 440 Yellow Cape Tarantula 12. xi. 441 Cape Mole Locust 13. 7. 442 Black and Orange Cape Beetle 8. 6. 443 Black furrowed Cape Beetle 24. xi. 444 Black Cape Slug Beetle 12. 6. 445 Hoary speckled Cape Comber 8. 6. 446 Great Cape Centipes 13. 3. 447 Blush Cape Hippuris 3. 10. 448 Warty Cape Wrack 9. 14. 449 Porous Cape Rainbow Mushroom 4. xi. 450 Ruysch’sCape Cudweed 7. 1. 451 Small spiked Cape Cudweed 8. 12. 452 Cape Comose Silver Tufts 7. 3. 453 Cape ear’d Silver Tufts 30. 12. 454 Cape double white straw Flower 1. 9. 455 Cape single Blush Straw Flower 5. 10. 456 Cape clammy headed Knapweed 25. 6. 457 Cape Knapweed with Woolly Grass Leaves 6. xj. 458 Cape Maudlin with Samphire Leaves 34. 1. 459 Cape soft leaved Herman 34. 2. 460 Cape Purple Dyers broom 5. xi. 461 Cape Myrtle Cone 6. 4. 462 Cape Pine Cone 25. 7. 463 Cape headed Breynian 8. 1. 464 Cape hoary headed Breynian 5. 4. 465 Cape Heath Breynian 5. 2. 466 Cape spiked Breynian 3. 9. 467 Cape red flower’d Heath 3. 7. 468 Cape Cotton headed Heath 2. 9. 469 Cape mouldy headed Heath 2. 10. 470 Cape Time Lewisan 5. 7. 471 Cape Thorny Spinale Tree 26. 2. 472 Guiney Pompom or Bugle Lizzard 15. 6. 473 Black Guiney Butterfly with white spots 3. 4. 474 Kirchwood's speckled Angola Butterfly 9. 5. 475 Kirkwood's Selvidge eyed Angola Butterfly 6. 9. 476 White Angola Butterfly with bloody Tips 9. 10. 477 Skeen's brown pied Butterfly 12. 10. 478 Planer's yellow Guiney Moth 29. 3. 479 Nonpareil girdle bodied Guiney Moth 33. 7. 480 Bristle tail'd Mount Serado Fly 2. 4. 481 Sprinkle winged Aleppo Alderboult 3. 1. 482 Small Aleppo streak'd Beetle 2. 12. 483 Hairy speckled Aleppo green Beetle 13. 5. 484 Warty Wida Unicorn Shell 5. 5. 485 Flat Ascention Balanus 9. 9. 486 Bloody warted Barbary Mushroom 39. 8. 387