JENKINS, JOHN DAVID (1828 - 1876), cleric, philanthropist

Born at Merthyr Tydfil, 30 January 1828, the son of William David Jenkins (died 1834), Castellau Fach, Llantrisant, Glamorganshire, and Maria, widow of Thomas Dyke, druggist, Merthyr Tydfil. He was educated at Taliesin Williams's school at Merthyr, Cowbridge grammar school, and Jesus College, Oxford (B.A. 1850, M.A. 1852, B.D. 1859, and D.D. 1871). While at Oxford he became a good classical and oriental scholar, and in after years became proficient in modern languages. He was ordained priest on 15 October 1852, and was sent to the Cape of Good Hope, where he landed in November 1852. Shortly after his arrival bishop Gray sent him to Pietermaritzburg in Natal, 20 January 1853. Here he remained for the next six years; he was especially charged with the ministrations to Her Majesty's forces there, and at various outposts. He was made canon of Pietermaritzburg by bishop Colenso in 1856. At the end of this period he was invalided home. He returned to Oxford where, feeling that railwaymen had no parish, he devoted a large portion of his time in visiting them, and was widely known and respected as the ' Rail men's Apostle '; there, too, he wrote a considerable book on the history of the Christian Church. The first volume of this was printed at Oxford, 1869, under the title of The Age of the Martyrs (later translated into Welsh and published at Cardiff, 1890); the rest of the book is still in manuscript. He became vicar of Aberdare, 7 March 1870, but only lived there six years, dying on 9 November 1876, at the age of 48.

Author

• Watkin William Price, (1873 - 1967)

Sources

• The Weekly Mail, 11 and 18 November 1876
• Yr Haul, June 1926
• Catalogue of Printed Literature in the Welsh Department, Cardiff Free Libraries (1898), 1898, 253
• Notes on the Ancient Parish of St. John the Baptist, Aberdare (2nd ed.), portrait, 30, etc.
• Charles Wilkins, The history of Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tydfil 1867), 1867, 294

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: John David Jenkins

Additional Links

• VIAF: 36798754
• Wikidata: Q14945652

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/