Frederick Skelton was born in 1885 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, the son of Frederick Skelton, a file cutter and subsequently fish fryer, b.1853 in Sheffield, and Sarah (nee Cryer; born 1854 in Sheffield). His parents had married in July 1877 in Ecclesall Church, Sheffield. He was christened on 2 June 1885 in Sheffield. His known brothers and sisters were Kate Ellenor, b. 1878, James Arthur, b. 1881, Charles Edward, b. 1888, George William, b. 1891, and Clara Elizabeth, b. 1897. In 1901, he was living at home at 29 Cinder Hill, Grenoside, with his family; he was described as an underground coal miner. In 1911, he lived at 69 Valley Road, Meersbrook, Sheffield, with his parents and sister Clara Elizabeth, 13.
In the 1911 census he was described as a monumental mason, aged 26, and was not married. His brother Charles had gone to Canada and was in 1911 living in Hamilton (he died in 1950 in New York). Frederick left Liverpool, on 26 March 1913 as a steerage (third class) passenger on the steamship Hesperian and arrrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 3 April 1913. He was bound for Hamilton, Ontario, and was listed as an unmarried stone cutter aged 28. His religious affiliation was Methodist. His mother lived at 69 Valley Road, Meersbrook (Heeley), in 1915. Contemporary press stated he had been working in a motor works in Hamilton, Ontario, for the past two years, and that he had taken an interest in the Christadelphians. He was coming back to England to get married. The Cunard Line stated he was 30 years old and that his point of origin was Hamilton, Ontario. Frederick did not survive the sinking of the Lusitania.
From research by Peter Engberg-Klarström (2017)