Regarded as 'the founder of Cheltenham as a watering place' in all the standard histories of the town,[1] his memorial inscription in the parish church, standing at 53 lines and almost 600 words, is one of the longest in Britain, and has been transcribed and reproduced many times.[6] Skillicorne's unique contribution to the town was to provide a broad vision for developing a potential attraction into a real one, and for engaging others in this enterprise without special regard for himself.[7] His new wife was the heir to a number of land holdings in Cheltenham, including a field at Bayshill, rising ground to the south of the main street where in 1716 a mineral spring had been discovered.Initial exploitation of the Cheltenham waters by the Mason family had been on only a modest scale, and Skillicorne, familiar with the thriving Hotwells in Bristol, saw clearly the potential for drawing in more visitors to the town.[11] His memorial tablet was erected following extensive instructions set out in the will of his son William, who died in 1803:[12] it greatly helped shape his posthumous reputation, although it is not entirely complete or accurate.
Memorial inscription of Henry Skillicorne in Cheltenham parish church
