George Herbert Skinner was a British shoe and carburettor manufacturer. He was born in April 1872 in the London Borough

London borough

The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...

 of Ealing

Ealing

Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...

 as the son of the shoemaker William Banks Skinner, owner of the company Lilley & Skinner. Herbert Skinner entered the management of Lilley & Skinner and in 1903 he imported from France a car of Léon Bollée

Léon Bollée

Léon Bollée was a French automobile manufacturer and inventor.-Life:Bollée's family were well known bellfounders and his father, Amédée Bollée , was the major pioneer in the automobile industry who produced several steam cars...

. In February 1905 Herbert applied for a full patent for a newly developed carburettor, which was granted in January 1906. George Herbert and his younger brother Thomas Carlisle Skinner (1882-1958) formed in August 1910 the Skinners Union, SU Company Limited. It started to produce the originally branded 'The Union Carburettor' which was soon re-named 'The SU carburettor', being an abbreviation of 'Skinners' Union'. Another of the Skinner brothers, John, became a director of the company around 1913.

George Herbert Skinner did not believe in early schooling. His son Herbert Wakefield Banks Skinner

Herbert Wakefield Banks Skinner

Herbert Wakefield Banks Skinner was a British physicist.He was born in Ealing, London the only son of George Herbert, a director of the shoemaking firm of Lilley and Skinner, and Mabel Elisabeth Skinner. He was educated at Durston House School in Ealing and Rugby School. In 1919 he entered Trinity...

was accordingly nine years old before he entered Durston House School at Ealing.