Individual Details

If you are a Jenckes descendant or researcher, you should read the four articles, "The Jenks Family of England" published in the NEGHS Register, Vol. 110, Jan-Apr-Jul-Oct 1956, by William B. Browne. The articles are available at AmericanAncestor.org by subscription. They cover his follow-up research in England after he completed the Genealogy of the Jenks Family of America, self-published in 1952 and available in digital format on Ancestry.com. Corrections are made in the follow-up articles.

Depositions given in the Essex Co MA records suggest that in 1678, he was 76, and in 1681, Joseph believed himself to be about 81 - or born say 1600-1602. A baptism at St. Anne, Blackfriars is recorded 16 Aug 1599 as "Josephe sonne of John Ginkes. A daughter Sarah was born to John Ginkes on 6th Feb 1596/7. Earlier is the record of Joseph's parents - John Jenkes of St. Anne, Blackfriars, London, cutler, and Sarah Fulwater of London, daught of Henry Fulwater of St. Anne, gen. lic. 8 Jan 1595/6.

Tradition has suggested that Joseph was from Hammersmith and or Hounslow, chapelries in County Middlesex, about 6 miles apart. Hammersmith was in the Parish of Fulham, Hounslow in Isleworth. St. Anne is about 3 miles from Hammersmith. Parish records from Isleworth, housed in the Hounslow Public library contain the burials for
Jone Jeankes wife of Joseff Jeankes on 29 Feb 1634/5 and
___beth the daughter of Joseph Jenkes, on 2 Nov 1638

There is a marriage record in the Bishop's Transcripts of Horton Parish "Joseph Jenkes and Ellen Hearne were married 5th day of November 1627". The marriage wasn't recorded in the parish register, but reported to the Bishop. Another entry nearby for a lady named "Ellen" may have caused Miss Hearne's given name to be in error.

Joseph apparently married Joan Hearne, 5 Nov 1627. Her death given as 28 Feb 1635, which conflicts with an often seen marriage to Mary Terbyn in 1630. I have even seen the marriage date connected to Mary Tervyn as the marriage date to Joan Hearne. The marriage register, digital on Ancestry.com, for All Hallows, London plainly has "Joseph Jenkes and Mary Tervyn the 30th of September" under the year 1630. A four-part research work in the NEHGS Register, Volume 110 (1956) makes plain that the marriage to Mary was a VERY different Joseph Jenckes, a man born about 1607, brought up in London and practiced the trade of cutler (knife making) and was noted as "dead" in his non-payment of dues to the Company of White Bakers in 1642.

Joseph was married twice - to Miss Hearne and to an Elizabeth after he arrived in New England - her surname has never been discovered.

Lived at Lynn, Massachusetts as early as 1645. Established the first iron and steel works there.

From "The 20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Vol.6,p.69"
JENCKES, Joseph, inventor, was born in Wolverton, Shropshire, England, in 1602, son [probably] of Francis and Frances (Westfalling) Jenckes. [ERROR- not his parents or birthplace] When Robert Bridges took specimens of iron ore to England from the colonies and told of the great need of iron tools by the colonists, he procured the foundation of a company to develop the working of the ore. Joseph Jenckes was induced to come to America as master-mechanic to establish works in Saugus, MA. He superintended the construction of the first furnaces and moulds, and the manufacture of the first domestic utensils, machinery and iron tools on the Western continent and introduced the idea of patenting inventions in America. He received from the general court of Massachusetts, May 6, 1646, patents "for the making of engines for mills to go with water", for the making of scythes and other edge-tools, and a new invention for a saw mill, for which he patented an improvement in May 1655. [His patents were the first machine patents to be granted in the American colonies.] He cut the dies used in the manufacture of the "Pine Tree" coins at the mist established by John Hull in Boston in 1652, which were the first coin issued in America. He made a contract with the selectment of Boston in 1654 to build "an engine to carry water in case of fire" and patented an improvement in scythes, 1655, and the Jenks scythe, but little modified for 250 years, came into use all over the world. He obtained the government's aid to enable him to erect machinery to be used in wire-drawing in 1667. He died in Massachusetts, March 16, 1683.

Records & Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County Massachusetts, Vol. 1, 1636-1656, Published by the Essex Institute, Salem, MA, 1911
It is interesting to note that Joseph Jenckes testified on several occasions against Quentin Pray in the Court at Salem. Pray was also my ancestor. They were both iron workers.

p.123 Court at Salem, 29:12:1647 [old style, month of February]
Nicholas Penyon, Nicholas Russell, John Pedricke, John Hardman, Quinten Pray of Lin, Richard Stiche and Richard Praye were fined for Swearing. Wife of Nichlas Pynnyon presented for swearing. Witnesses were Joseph Gincks [Jenckes] and John Chacksell.
Nicholas Russell was fined for remaining in Nicholas Penyon's house after he had ordered him to keep away, being jealous of his wife; and for spending part of one Lord's day with Nicholas Penyon at the house of Joseph Armitage; and drinking strong water ....spending the remainder of the day drinking strong water and cursing and swearing. Witnesses to the first offense were Joseph Gincks and John Chacksell; Chaksell & Quintin Praye witnesses to the last offense.

p.173 Court at Salem, 11:7:1649
Nicholas Pinion fined 30s for swearing three oaths, and admonished for striking Charles Hooke.
Quinton Pray, for striking Nicholas Penion with a staff, having an iron two feet long on the end of it, and breaking his head; for striking Thomas Billington, and for swearing, fined. *
*Pinion was fined 10s at the Iron Works. Quinton Prey deposed that he met Nichs. Pinion last Lord's day coming out of his corn, and hear him swear, by God, all his pumpions were turned to squashes and by God's blood he had but one pumpion of all. Sworn 1:7mo:1649 before Robert Bridges Rich. Prey also swore the same. Jno. Chackswell said he heard Nichs. Pinion swear, by God. Rich. Greene deposed and also said Pinion swore, by God's blood. Sworn 3:7mo:1649.
Witnesses against Pray for striking Pinion & Tho. Billington & Jno. Dimond were Jno Vinton, Henry Leonard, Jos. Jyncks, Nichs. Pinion, Tobiah Saunders, Jno Dimond & his man.

There are a number of cases in the Court, describing the failure of the Iron Works and the debts of Joseph Jenckes and his son of the same name. More can be found in the notes of the son Joseph Jr.
29:9:1655 Joseph Jenckes Sr. Admonished for absence from meeting.
24:4:1656 Maj. William Hathorne and Mr. Amos Richardson, assignees to John Gifford and Joseph Jenckes Sr. Withdrawn. Writ dated 3:4:1656 signed by Jonathan Negus for the court. Served by Mathew Farington, constable of Lynn. Sureties on bond were William Curtis and Henry (his mark) Lenard.


Records & Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County Massachusetts, Vol. 1, 1656-1662
p.97 29 Jun 1658 Mr. William Brown v. Oliver Purchase. Debt. For detaining 38 bushels of malt delivered by his agent, Joseph Jenckes, Sr. to defendant.
Joseph Jencks Sr. deposed that Mr. William Brown sent forty bushels of malt to the Iron works to exchange for bar iron, slit into nail rods, but defendant would not allow him to leave the malt or take the iron, affirming that there were only 38 bushels. Sworn, 17:3:1658
Jonathan Hudson of Lynn testified that Senior Jencks hired him to carry 40 bushels of malt from Mr. Browne's of Salem. He went to Mr. Browne's with his team, and Mr. Browne delivered him the malt for Goodman Jencks. Deponet told Jencks that Mr. Browne might pay him for bringing it, and Jencks sent a note by his boy to Mr. Browne to pay deponent and also for a jar of oil; nothing was said of Oliver Purchis. Sworn in court, 29 Jun 1658.

p.210 26 Jun 1660 Mr. Adam Hawkes v. Wm Paine & co, undertakers of the Iron Works and Mr. Oliver Purchase, their agent. Trepass. For damming their waters so high, which was the cause of flooding his lands, well & bridge, to his great damage for several years. Verdict for defendant.
Joseph Jencks Sr, deposed that he spoke with Adam Hawks about the damage and the latter told him that he had satisfaction from the old company, etc. Sworn in court.

p.215 26 Jun 1660 Will of James Moore, proved by Joseph Jenks Sr. was allowed. Ruth, the widow, brought in an inventory. Moore's will was dated 5:5:1659; names a little daughter Dorothy and his wife Ruth. Oliver Purchase & John Clarke to be overseers. Wit: Joseph Jenckes Sr, Joseph Jenckes, Jr.


History of the United States Patent Office, A History of the Early Patent Office
Chapter 2 -- Invention Comes to British Colonial America
[Pg 11]
Joseph Jenks Sr., age 41, iron founder, of Colebrook, Buckinghamshire, widower with two sons, was persuaded in 1643 to emigrate from England to Lynn, Massachusetts, to operate an iron-smelting and foundry business. In that year, Robert Bridges had taken bog iron ore found in Saugus, Massachusetts, to London and persuaded a group of wealthy English gentlemen and merchants to join him in forming the Company of Undertakers for the Iron Works. The company advanced £1,000 to commence the work. The Company of Undertakers chose Mr. Jenks to go out from England and operate the iron works. Mr. Jenks left his two sons, Joseph Jr. and George Jenks, in England with instructions to join him in America later. He successfully set up the foundry, and personally cast the first article, an iron pot holding about one quart. This pot survives in the Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts. The iron works apparently operated for about twenty-five years before it became unprofitable. In 1641, the Massachusetts Bay Colony granted an exclusive right for the manufacture of salt. It appears that this was for the establishment of an imported industry in Massachusetts, and not for an invention. But in 1646, Massachusetts granted its first exclusive right for use of an invention. The inventor was Joseph Jenks Sr. The General Court recognized that he had made speedier engines for water-mills and also mills for making scythes and other edged tools, and it allowed him fourteen years without disturbance from others who might set up similar inventions. Mr. Jenks purchased the right to manufacture scythes at the iron works, and in 1655 he was granted a second exclusive right for seven years to manufacture an improved grass scythe. Apparently, the common scythe of the day was short, thick, heavy and slow. Mr. Jenks made a scythe blade which was thinner and longer and was thickened on the back side for support. For over 300 years the scythe of commerce remained substantially unchanged in shape from that of Mr. Jenks.[Page 11 illustration: Pine tree shilling]In 1652, Massachusetts was short of coinage for use in its internal commerce. It decided to coin its own money, despite the fact that the English policy, at least unofficially, prohibited the colonies from coining their own money. Joseph Jenks Sr. was chosen to make the dies for striking [Pg 12] the coins. He made dies for threepenny pieces, sixpenny pieces and shillings. They were to be of sterling silver, and by weight were to have five-sixths of the silver weight of the corresponding English coins. This lesser weight would tend to prevent their export from the colony for their silver value. Each was stamped with "Massachusetts" and a pine tree on one side, and on the other side "New England, Anno 1652," together with the number of pence in Roman numerals. There is a story that Sir Thomas Temple, representing the interests of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, showed samples of the coins to King Charles II. When the King asked what kind of tree was represented on the coins, Sir Thomas answered that it was a royal oak tree, the tree which saved the King's life. The King answered that the colonists were "a set of honest dogs," and proceeded with the business at hand.In 1654, Joseph Jenks Sr. built a fire-engine for the city of Boston to deliver water in case of fire. There were few such engines in the world, and Paris did not get its first for another 50 years.Joseph Jenks Sr., died in his early eighties, leaving a large family of descendants. His son Joseph Jenks Jr. came over from England in 1645, two years after his father, to operate iron forges and saw mills. He could not find sufficient water power to operate his mills available in Warwick, Rhode Island, so he moved in 1671 to the vicinity of Pawtucket Falls in Rhode Island to build a mill, and incidentally to found the town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Joseph Jenks III was a distinguished citizen of Rhode Island. His two principal claims to fame must have been that he was the royal governor of Rhode Island from 1727 to 1732, and that he stood seven feet two inches in his stocking feet.


The Saugus IronWorks about ten miles from Boston is now a National Historic Site.
The site fell into disuse and became hidden by underbrush. In 1898, the Lynn Historical Society erected a historical marker near the site which read "The First Iron Works. The first successful iron works in this country established here. Foundry erected in 1643. Joseph Jenks built a forge here in 1647 and in 1652 made the dies for the first silver money coined in New England. In 1654 he made the first fire engine in America." Eventually, the plaque too became obscured by the underbrush and remained camouflaged until it was discovered during the restoration of the Iron Works.

Christen	26 Aug 1599	Saint Anne, Blackfriars, London, England
Marriage	1 Nov 1627	Horton, Buckinghamshire, England - Joan Hearne
Marriage	Abt 1650	New England - Elizabeth [JENCKES]
Death	16 Mar 1683	Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts

Spouse	Elizabeth [JENCKES] ( - 1679)
Child	Sarah JENCKES (1652 - )
Child	Samuel Jenckes (1654 - 1738)
Child	Deborah Jenckes (1658 - )
Child	John Jenckes (1660 - 1698)
Child	Daniel Jenckes (1663 - 1736)

Spouse	Joan Hearne ( - )
Child	JOSEPH JENCKES II ( - 1717)
Child	Elizabeth Jenckes (1630 - 1638)

Father	John Jenckes ( - )
Mother	Sarah Fulwater ( - )
Sibling	Sarah Jenckes ( - )

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