JENKINS, JOHN (1779 - 1853), Baptist minister, theologian, editor, and publisher

Born 28 November 1779 in Llangynidr parish, Brecknock, son of Jenkin and Mary Jenkins. The only education he had was a short term at a night-school, and he taught himself to read and write. He began to preach in 1800 and was ordained at Llangynidr, May 1806. In 1809 he was inducted at Hengoed, Glamorganshire, where he remained for the rest of his life, travelling all over Wales on mission, and to sell his books. His most important volume, Gwelediad y Palas Arian, comprising a corpus of theology 'to display the strength of the evangelical Church,' was published in 1811 (2nd imp. 1820, 3rd 1864). In 1815 he started, with the co-operation of Thomas Williams (Gwilym Morgannwg, 1778 - 1835), Y Parthsyllydd; neu Eirlyfr Daearyddol, and between 1819 and 1831 published his laborious Esponiad, a commentary on the whole Bible ' free from strange conceptions and wild imaginings.' During the same years he worked at his Traethawd ar Fedydd, 1819, his Catecism Byr, 1820, and his Llyfr Hymnau, about 1824. A printing press was bought in 1819 and it was Jenkins who, with his sons, printed and published the Esponiad and various magazines (some of which he edited) such as Cyfrinach y Bedyddwyr, 1827, Greal y Bedyddwyr, 1833-7, Ystorfa y Bedyddwyr, 1838-41, Y Gwir Fedyddiwr , 1842-3, Y Bedyddiwr, 1844, and booklets for the Sunday school. He was acutely critical (in the periodicals) of the Baptist Academy at Abergavenny, but came into even greater prominence as an exponent of the higher Calvinism as against Fullerism.

He married, 1801, Martha Edmunds (1769 - 1830). Of the children of this marriage, TITUS JENKINS (1804 - 1834) was a Baptist minister at Ramsey, Huntingdon; JOHN JENKINS (1807 - 1872) went to Brittany as a missionary; and Llewelyn Jenkins (1810 - 1878) was a publisher, editor, and author. John Jenkins made two subsequent marriages; he died 5 June 1853 and was buried in Hengoed chapel cemetery.

Author

• Reverend Professor James Mansel John, (1910 - 1975)

Sources

• John Jenkins and Ll. Jenkins, Hanes buchedd a gweithiau awdurol y diweddar John Jenkins D. D., Hengoed (Caerdydd 1859)
• Cofiant y Parchedig John Jones, Talsarn: mewn cysylltiad a hanes duwinyddiaeth a phregethu Cymru (Wrexham 1874), i, 471-91
• Seren Gomer, 1822-3, 1828, 1839-44
• Cyfrinach y Bedyddwyr, 1827
• Greal y Bedyddwyr, 1835
• T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 101570059
• Wikidata: Q20733478

Published date: 1959

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