Welcome to this great site !
First welldone on doing the work yourself first, many dont seem to want to bother.
That said theres plenty here who will help you further, some experts and some just keen newcomers. Also please read the FAQ at top of thepage.
Re your basic questions:

1. I've only been researching this year, mostly thro this site.I dont think theres any rules whatsoever about who a child is named after. I dont think in Britain its at all normal to use Senior & Junior as it is in the US and perhaps Canada too.
I named my son William, after my father, and his before him & so on. We did so to preserve the tradition, much to my mother's surprise & delight. I guess this was the same way back. From studying several family lines on this site, its so common if not the norm to repeat first names down the line, certainly thro the C19th. My son's middlename is the same as mine, I guess thats a common idea too.
In my experience before the C18th, this perpetuating of Christian names often occurred without having middlenames either (or at least they wernt recorded as Baptism records) - so making our task that must trickier.!?.
So in essence, anything goes, in your case Thomas it seems. In the C19 century there seems a smaller choice of likely names, probably after royalty etc, and occasionally Biblical ones; whereas nowadays we have a much wider variety of possible names to choose from dependant upon our favourite TV or sports stars perhaps, such as the Kylies (Neighbours) and the like, as well as the traditional ones.

2. Its quite normal for census records to show people getting "younger" than they really are !, the returns were purely based on verbal replies without checking later. Also in those days, especially in rural areas and before the arrival of railways and factories etc, people's lives wernt governedby or so concernedabout timekeeping and dates on a calendar, they lived by the seasons and the sunlight. Accurate records of birthdates just wern't needed so less focus was placed on remembering such things.

I hope this helps, good luck with your research, I'm confident you'll receive more help. Dont forget you can search this forum, someone else may have already done your work, also see all the old documents, photos, newspaper articles etc.

ATB Jeff

One additional request if possible. I'm trying to locate the family's immigration to Canada and at the same time not have to make a 15th trip to the archives to use Ancestry. I think I may have found something but I was wondering if it'd be outta line to ask someone with access to Ancestry to look it up for me. Here's the search link, I'm specifically interested in Thomas P. Skinner:

http://search.ancestry.ca/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=pili354&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=0&am...

Thanks in advance.

In 1811 we have this marriage:
Year: 1811
Month: Feb
Day: 17
Grooms_Surname: SKYNNER
Grooms_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: Newent
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: POWLES
Brides_Forenames: Ann
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Newent
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both mark
Witness_1: John Bowkett
Witness_2: Mark of Philip Powles
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P225 IN 1/9
Page_Number: 94
Parish_Chapel: Newent

The 1851 Census return suggests that Thomas Powles Skynner was born c1807 and therefore the following baptism is the most likely one for Thomas:
Year: 1808
Month: Jul
Day: 24
Parents_Surname: POWLES
Child_Forenames: Thomas
Fathers_Forenames: [not stated]
Mothers_Forenames: Ann
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Base s
Notes:
Register_Reference: P225 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 64
Parish_Chapel: Newent

Good luck in your search
Mike

Burial at Newent - 3 May 1820 - Thomas SKINNER, age 48, c 1773 - address: Newent Town and Gloucestershire Records Office database, has a Will for a Thomas SKYNNER, dated 1820 - Yoeman of Newent - which may hold clues etc.

and an Ann SKINNER burial at Newent (address Town of Newent) - 24 June 1821, age 36 c1785 -

? baptism at Newent - 22 March 1789, Anne POWEL - parents Reuben & Sarah

There is a Hannah POWELS age 20 - at Newent working as a Female Servant for Henry PAINTER (1841 census)

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Gloucestershire Record Office website gives will give the information required to send for a copy of Thomas SKYNNER's will (if needed)

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/genealogy/search.aspx

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When Thomas Powles SKYNNER married Jane SMITH in 1830 - one witness was Eliza SKINNER - and there is a baptism at Newent on 28 July 1811 of an Eliza SKINNER, parents Thomas & Ann - so probably his sister

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For FOD members who don't have access to Ancestry - this is the family of the 1841 Census Newent (adults ages were normally rounded up to the nearest 5 years)

Culvert Street (FOD records have Ann & Thomas SKYNNER, having a Son *Richard 8 August 1813 - Culvert Street, Newent)

1841 Census, Newent, Culvert Street

SKYNNER

Thomas - 30 - Collar m (all born in County)
Jane - 30
Thomas - 10 (SKYNNER) - Newent - 16 February 1831
Harriet - 8 (SKYNNER) - Newent - 14 October 1832
Richard - 6 (POWLES SKYNNER) - 30 January 1835
Ann - 15 (who are Ann's parents?) **
John - 4 (SKYNNER) - 25 December 1836 - father Thomas POWLES SKYNNER
William - 3 (SKYNNER) - 30 July 1838

(what does the 1851 Canada Census say?) are there any children born in Canada?

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Looking at Gloucestershire BDM

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/

SKINNER- mother's maiden name SMITH

There is William listed - and an Ann in 1840

and no children after that

---

**

There is a baptism at Newent of Ann SKYNNER/SKINNER - 29 May 1818 - parents Thomas & Ann

*

1841 Census, Newent, Church Street

Richard SKINNER age 26 - M/S- working for William HOLLAND, Innkeeper

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1851 Census, Newent Berry Bar Street

Transcribed as SKMNER

Richard - 34 - Horsekeeper Groom, born Newent - his Will is also on Gloucestershire Records Office database
Ann - (wife) age crossed through
Ellen - 4 (Gloucestershire BDM - mother's maiden name BISCO)

Gloucestershire BDM - Marriage at Glos. St Mary de Lobe 1842 - Richard SKINNER and Ann BISCOE

1861 Census, Newent

Ann SKINNER, Married age 43, Schoolmistress
Ellen SKINNER - 14 (no sign of Richard)

1876 Directory of Newent, list Miss Ellen SKINNER, Bury Bar Lane, Dressmaker

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1851, Newent Culvert Street,

Ann SKINNER - unmarried - 32 born Newent
Cornelius SKINNER - son - age 3 - born Hereford Aston Ingham (Gloucestershire BDM - Newent)

Thank you to everyone that put effort and time into helping me with my search. I've received some fantastic leads & advice I wouldn't have otherwise found if I had not found site. Keep up the good work & thanks again!