Dates

• Existence: 1853 - 1923

Biography

Francis John Henry Jenkinson (1853-1923), librarian and bibliographer, was born Forres, Moray in 1853. He was educated at Marlborough College before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated in the first class of the classical tripos in 1876. Jenkinson became a fellow of Trinity in 1878 and was college lecturer in Classics from 1881 until 1889. It was at this time that he was introduced to Henry Bradshaw, the University Librarian, who would have a great influence on Jenkinson's future, both in his bibliographic work and his eventual career. Jenkinson became University Librarian in 1889. During his time as Librarian Jenkinson oversaw the gift of Lord Acton's library, the largest single collection ever received by the Library, and the donation of 140,00 hebrew fragments from the Cairo Genezah. From 1915 Jenkinson spent much time collecting literature, especially ephemera, of the war, an archive, still held in the Library and called the War Reserve Collection, which would eventually prove to be both extensive and important. He was married twice: first, on 6 July 1887, to Marian Wetton (d. 1888), fifth daughter of Champion Wetton of Joldwynds, near Gomshall, Surrey, and sister-in-law of Charles Villiers Stanford; and second, on 2 April 1902, at Crowborough to Margaret Stewart (1859–1933), daughter of Ludovick Charles Stewart. He had no children. He died on 21 September 1923 at a nursing home, The Nook, Hampstead, following an operation, and was buried at Trumpington.

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