Peter McNish McSkimming (1872–1941) was an independent member of parliament for the Clutha electorate in the South Island of New Zealand.
[2] They initially settled in Lawrence before both father and son began work for John Nelson's clay pipe factory in Benhar, near Balclutha in 1881.
McSkimming senior was a shrewd but humanitarian businessman, and bought the factory by the 1890s, turning it into a major manufacturer of ceramic sanitary products.
[6] McSkimming was chairman of the South Otago Freezing Co., Kaitangata Coal Co., Dominion Fertilizer Co., Bruce Woollen Co. and New Zealand Refrigerating Company[7] McSkimming married Agnes Jane Lowery (known as Jeannie) in 1904, and they had three sons and two daughters.
[3] Their sons remained involved in the family business, running it until it was taken over by Ceramco in 1980. Notable among their offspring was Robert Wilson "Brick" McSkimming (1916–1992), who was awarded a DFC for his work with the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War II.