John David Jenkins
Encyclopedia
John David Jenkins was a Welsh
clergy
man and historian. He spent six years ministering in Pietermaritzburg
; after his return to England, he became known as the "Rail men's Apostle" for his work with railway workers in Oxford
. He was Vice-President, and then President, of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
. He also wrote a book on the history of the church.
, Glamorgan
on 30 January 1828. His father, William David Jenkins, could allegedly trace his ancestry back to Iestyn ap Gwrgant
, the last Prince of Morgannwg. After attending Taliesin Williams's school in Merthyr Tydfil and Cowbridge Grammar School
, Jenkins studied at Oxford University, matriculating
at Jesus College
in 1846 with the benefit of the Sir Leoline Jenkins
scholarship. He studied Literae Humaniores
, obtaining a third-class
B.A.
degree in 1850. He subsequently obtained further degrees: M.A. in 1852, B.D.
in 1859 and D.D.
in 1871. He became a good classical and oriental scholar whilst at Oxford, developing a fluency in modern languages in later life. Whilst an undergraduate, he tried and failed on several occasions for the Pusey
and Ellerton Hebrew Scholarship; after his final failure, Dr Pusey presented him with some books to acknowledge his abilities in Hebrew.
He was appointed as a Fellow of Jesus College in 1851/2, retaining this position until his death. The fellowship was a King James II
Missionary Fellowship, under the terms of which Jenkins was required to become ordained and "proceed to such one of Her Majesty's plantations as the Bishop of London, for the time being, might appoint." He was ordained deacon in 1851 by Samuel Wilberforce
, Bishop of Oxford
, and appointed curate
to the Reverend Alfred Hackman at St Paul's Church, Oxford. St Paul's was a noted Tractarian church. Whilst Jenkins was at St Paul's, Thomas Combe
commissioned Holman Hunt to paint Jenkins's portrait.
In accordance with the terms of the fellowship, Jenkins went to the Cape of Good Hope
, arriving in November 1852. Bishop Robert Gray
, the bishop of Cape Town
, sent him to Pietermaritzburg
under the direction of the rector, the Reverend James Green. Jenkins remained in Pietermaritzburg for six years, working particularly with the armed forces as Chaplain to the 45th Regiment
and Battery of Field Artillery. He soon became involved in controversy when Green, Jenkins and others opposed Bishop John Colenso
, the first Bishop of Natal
, who had questioned the literal accuracy of some biblical passages based on his own mathematical calculations, and had also condemned ritualistic practices (particularly the wearing of "gorgeous coloured vestments") favoured by the Tractarians. Bishop Gray attempted to relieve Bishop Colenso of his position at a court hearing in which he sat in judgment. Colenso, however, refused to attend at the hearing and subsequently succeeded in his application to the Privy Council for an order that the Bishop Gray's judgment had been illegal. Following the Privy Council judgment Colenso returned to Natal.
Bishop Colenso made Jenkins a canon
of Pietermaritzburg in 1856. Ill-health (the early stages of liver cancer) caused Jenkins to leave South Africa in 1858 and return to Oxford. He became Dean of Jesus College in 1865, and Junior Bursar
in 1866. Jenkins then wrote a book on the history of the Christian Church. The Age of the Martyrs, the first volume of the work, was published in 1869 and was dedicated by Jenkins to Green. It was translated into Welsh
in 1890. The rest of the book was not published. In March 1870, Jenkins was appointed vicar
of Aberdare
, Glamorgan
, by the Marquess of Bute
. He died of liver cancer in Aberdare on 9 November 1876.
, an Anglo-Catholic clerical organisation founded by Pusey and others. Its principles included missionary work amongst the poor. Jenkins spent considerable amounts of time in the 1860s ministering to sick and poor railway workers and their families. He was a clerical superior in the "Railway Guild of the Holy Cross", which promoted Christian faith amongst railway employees. His commitment to the task of ministering to railway families led to him becoming known as the "Rail men's Apostle".
After his appointment to Aberdare, a town where Dissenter
s were strong, Jenkins organised choral services with psalms being sung to Anglican chant
s and the canticles to Gregorian chant
s. He worked with Nonconformists to promote local friendly societies and was sufficiently well-regarded to be presented in 1874 with a testimonial noting "his genial and affectionate regard for the hardworking and humbler classes of society" and his involvement with the South Wales Choral Union, which had won a national competition at The Crystal Palace
in 1872. He also represented the views of miners during strikes, sometimes clashing with employers as a result.
His involvement with railway matters did not cease on his appointment to Aberdare. When the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
was established in 1872, he was appointed Vice-President. He helped form an Aberdare branch, and addressed meetings at local and national level, stressing the need for unity amongst the workers and the importance of providing for sickness and old-age whilst in good health. In 1873, Jenkins was unanimously elected President and held the position until his death in 1876. The ASRS paid for a memorial window at St Elven's Church, Aberdare, in his honour. At his funeral, conducted by his college friend Griffith Arthur Jones
, the union's general secretary, Fred Evans, said:
priest, including black silk worn over the surplice (a revival of a pre-Reformation tradition). The setting, the cloisters of New College, Oxford
, has been said to give "monastic undertones" to the picture, with the overall effect that "suggested a Gothic feel wholly in keeping with contemporary Tractarian philosophy" – Hunt and Jenkins both being supporters of the Oxford Movement
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man and historian. He spent six years ministering in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
; after his return to England, he became known as the "Rail men's Apostle" for his work with railway workers in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. He was Vice-President, and then President, of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom from 1872 until 1913.The ASRS was an industrial union founded in 1871 with the support of the Liberal MP Michael Bass. Its early years were difficult...
. He also wrote a book on the history of the church.
Life
Jenkins was born in Merthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
on 30 January 1828. His father, William David Jenkins, could allegedly trace his ancestry back to Iestyn ap Gwrgant
Iestyn ap Gwrgant
Iestyn ap Gwrgant was the last ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Morgannwg, which encompassed the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire .- Lineage :...
, the last Prince of Morgannwg. After attending Taliesin Williams's school in Merthyr Tydfil and Cowbridge Grammar School
Cowbridge Grammar School
Cowbridge Grammar School was one of the best-known schools in Wales until its closure in 1974. It was replaced by a comprehensive school.Founded in the 17th century by Sir John Stradling and refounded by Sir Leoline Jenkins, it had close links with Jesus College, Oxford. The school took both...
, Jenkins studied at Oxford University, matriculating
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
at Jesus College
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
in 1846 with the benefit of the Sir Leoline Jenkins
Leoline Jenkins
Sir Leoline Jenkins was a Welsh academic, jurist and politician. He was a clerical lawyer serving in the Admiralty courts, and diplomat involved in the negotiation of international treaties .-Biography:...
scholarship. He studied Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
, obtaining a third-class
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1850. He subsequently obtained further degrees: M.A. in 1852, B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
in 1859 and D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1871. He became a good classical and oriental scholar whilst at Oxford, developing a fluency in modern languages in later life. Whilst an undergraduate, he tried and failed on several occasions for the Pusey
Edward Bouverie Pusey
Edward Bouverie Pusey was an English churchman and Regius Professor of Hebrew at Christ Church, Oxford. He was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement.-Early years:...
and Ellerton Hebrew Scholarship; after his final failure, Dr Pusey presented him with some books to acknowledge his abilities in Hebrew.
He was appointed as a Fellow of Jesus College in 1851/2, retaining this position until his death. The fellowship was a King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
Missionary Fellowship, under the terms of which Jenkins was required to become ordained and "proceed to such one of Her Majesty's plantations as the Bishop of London, for the time being, might appoint." He was ordained deacon in 1851 by Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce was an English bishop in the Church of England, third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his time and place...
, Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
, and appointed curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
to the Reverend Alfred Hackman at St Paul's Church, Oxford. St Paul's was a noted Tractarian church. Whilst Jenkins was at St Paul's, Thomas Combe
Thomas Combe
Thomas Combe was a printer, publisher and patron of the arts. He was 'Printer to the University' at Oxford University Press, and was also a founder and benefactor of St Barnabas Church, near the Press in Jericho and close to Oxford Canal....
commissioned Holman Hunt to paint Jenkins's portrait.
In accordance with the terms of the fellowship, Jenkins went to the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, arriving in November 1852. Bishop Robert Gray
Robert Gray (bishop)
Robert Gray was the first Anglican Bishop of Cape Town.-Biography:Gray was born in Bishopwearmouth, north east England, the son of Robert Gray, Bishop of Bristol, who ordained him deacon in Wells Cathedral on 11 January 1834. His first parish was at Whitworth. In 1845 he became the vicar of...
, the bishop of Cape Town
Anglican Diocese of Cape Town
The Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa, came into being in 1847 with the consecration of the first bishop, Robert Gray, and later expanded to become the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, now called the Anglican Church of Southern Africa....
, sent him to Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
under the direction of the rector, the Reverend James Green. Jenkins remained in Pietermaritzburg for six years, working particularly with the armed forces as Chaplain to the 45th Regiment
45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot
The 45th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. During the Childers Reforms it was united with the 95th Regiment of Foot to form the The Sherwood Foresters ....
and Battery of Field Artillery. He soon became involved in controversy when Green, Jenkins and others opposed Bishop John Colenso
John William Colenso
John William Colenso , first Anglican bishop of Natal, mathematician, theologian, Biblical scholar and social activist.-Biography:Colenso was born at St Austell, Cornwall, on 24 January 1814...
, the first Bishop of Natal
Anglican Diocese of Natal
The Anglican Diocese of Natal covers the western part of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, west and south of the Tugela and Buffalo rivers. The episcopal leader of the diocese is the Bishop of Natal.-History:...
, who had questioned the literal accuracy of some biblical passages based on his own mathematical calculations, and had also condemned ritualistic practices (particularly the wearing of "gorgeous coloured vestments") favoured by the Tractarians. Bishop Gray attempted to relieve Bishop Colenso of his position at a court hearing in which he sat in judgment. Colenso, however, refused to attend at the hearing and subsequently succeeded in his application to the Privy Council for an order that the Bishop Gray's judgment had been illegal. Following the Privy Council judgment Colenso returned to Natal.
Bishop Colenso made Jenkins a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Pietermaritzburg in 1856. Ill-health (the early stages of liver cancer) caused Jenkins to leave South Africa in 1858 and return to Oxford. He became Dean of Jesus College in 1865, and Junior Bursar
Bursar
A bursar is a senior professional financial administrator in a school or university.Billing of student tuition accounts are the responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. This involves sending bills and making payment plans with the ultimate goal of getting the student accounts paid off...
in 1866. Jenkins then wrote a book on the history of the Christian Church. The Age of the Martyrs, the first volume of the work, was published in 1869 and was dedicated by Jenkins to Green. It was translated into Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
in 1890. The rest of the book was not published. In March 1870, Jenkins was appointed vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, by the Marquess of Bute
John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute
John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute KT, KSG, KGCHS was a landed aristocrat, industrial magnate, antiquarian, scholar, philanthropist and architectural patron.-Early life:...
. He died of liver cancer in Aberdare on 9 November 1876.
Ministry
Jenkins's "abiding compassion for the less fortunate", as it has been termed, was first demonstrated with his work with the army in South Africa, where one of his contemporaries said that "his influence for good was boundless". After his return to Oxford, he became involved with the Society of the Holy CrossSociety of the Holy Cross
The Society of the Holy Cross is an international Anglo-Catholic society of priests with members in the Anglican Communion, the Continuing Anglican Movement and the Roman Catholic Church's Anglican Use...
, an Anglo-Catholic clerical organisation founded by Pusey and others. Its principles included missionary work amongst the poor. Jenkins spent considerable amounts of time in the 1860s ministering to sick and poor railway workers and their families. He was a clerical superior in the "Railway Guild of the Holy Cross", which promoted Christian faith amongst railway employees. His commitment to the task of ministering to railway families led to him becoming known as the "Rail men's Apostle".
After his appointment to Aberdare, a town where Dissenter
Dissenter
The term dissenter , labels one who disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. In the social and religious history of England and Wales, however, it refers particularly to a member of a religious body who has, for one reason or another, separated from the Established Church.Originally, the term...
s were strong, Jenkins organised choral services with psalms being sung to Anglican chant
Anglican chant
Anglican chant is a way to sing un-metrical texts, such as prose translations of the psalms, canticles, and other, similar biblical texts by matching the natural speech-rhythm of the words in each verse to a short piece of metrical music. It may be fairly described as "harmonized recitative"...
s and the canticles to Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
s. He worked with Nonconformists to promote local friendly societies and was sufficiently well-regarded to be presented in 1874 with a testimonial noting "his genial and affectionate regard for the hardworking and humbler classes of society" and his involvement with the South Wales Choral Union, which had won a national competition at The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
in 1872. He also represented the views of miners during strikes, sometimes clashing with employers as a result.
His involvement with railway matters did not cease on his appointment to Aberdare. When the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom from 1872 until 1913.The ASRS was an industrial union founded in 1871 with the support of the Liberal MP Michael Bass. Its early years were difficult...
was established in 1872, he was appointed Vice-President. He helped form an Aberdare branch, and addressed meetings at local and national level, stressing the need for unity amongst the workers and the importance of providing for sickness and old-age whilst in good health. In 1873, Jenkins was unanimously elected President and held the position until his death in 1876. The ASRS paid for a memorial window at St Elven's Church, Aberdare, in his honour. At his funeral, conducted by his college friend Griffith Arthur Jones
Griffith Arthur Jones
Griffith Arthur Jones was a Welsh Anglican priest for over 50 years, and was a strong supporter of the practices of the Oxford Movement in his ministry.-Life:...
, the union's general secretary, Fred Evans, said:
Portrait
The portrait of Jenkins by Holman Hunt from 1852 commissioned by Thomas Combe, entitled New College Cloisters, now hangs in the Senior Common Room at Jesus College. The robes worn by Jenkins are those of a High ChurchHigh church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
priest, including black silk worn over the surplice (a revival of a pre-Reformation tradition). The setting, the cloisters of New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, has been said to give "monastic undertones" to the picture, with the overall effect that "suggested a Gothic feel wholly in keeping with contemporary Tractarian philosophy" – Hunt and Jenkins both being supporters of the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
.