Joseph Jenckes

Three prominent, early New England men were named Joseph Jenckes. (Alt. spellings include Jenks, Jencks.)

Joseph Jenckes I

(baptized 26 August 1599 at St. Ann Blackfriars, London, d. 16 March 1682/83, Lynn, Essex County, MA) Joseph Jenckes settled in Lynn, Massachusetts by 1643, arriving as a widower. On March 6, 1646, he was awarded the first patent in North America by the General Court of Massachusetts, for making scythes. This basic scythe design remained in use for over 300 years. In 1654 he built the first fire engine in North America, commissioned by the city of Boston. The site of the Jenckes forge is at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.

Joseph Jenckes II

(b. England 1632, d. Pawtucket, RI 4 January 1717) Arrived in Massachusetts in 1645, having remained in England until his father was settled. He was the earliest known settler of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. In 1671, he built and operated the first sawmill in the area, which was destroyed by fire during King Philip's War. He was a Deputy to the Rhode Island Assembly for a number of terms in the late 17th century, also Counselor of the Governor in 1681.

Joseph Jenckes III

(b. Pawtucket, RI 1656, d. Providence, RI 1740) From 1691 through 1732, he continuously held high offices of public trust in Rhode Island, culminating as Governor from 1727 to 1732.

References

• "Founders of Early American Families", 2nd Revised Edition (2002) by Meredith B. Colket, Jr. and Keith M Sheldon
• "The Jenks Family of America" by W.B. Browne (1952)
• "Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island" by John Osborne Austin (Revised 1969 Edition by G. Andrews Moriarty)
• "History of the United States Patent Office" by Kenneth W. Dobyns (1994)

External links

• JOSEPH JENCKS
• Chronological list of Rhode Island leaders

Colonial Governors of Rhode Island
Judges of Portsmouth (1638–40)	Coddington Hutchinson
Judge of Newport (1639–40)	Coddington
Governor of Newport and Portsmouth (1640–47)	Coddington
Chief Officer (Providence and Warwick) (1644–47)	Williams
Presidents of Rhode Island (Patent of 1644) (1647–63)	Coggeshall J. Clarke Smith N. Easton Gorton Smith Dexter N. Easton Williams Arnold Brenton Arnold
Governors of Newport and Portsmouth (Coddington Commission) (1651–54)	Coddington J. Sanford
Governors of Rhode Island (Royal Charter of 1663) (1663–86)	Arnold Brenton Arnold N. Easton Coddington W. Clarke Arnold Coddington J. Cranston P. Sanford Coddington Jr. Bull W. Clarke
Governors under Dominion of New England (1686–89)	Dudley Andros
Governors of Rhode Island (Royal Charter of 1663) (1690–1776)	Bull J. Easton Carr W. Clarke S. Cranston Jenckes W. Wanton John Wanton R. Ward Greene G. Wanton Greene G. Wanton Greene Hopkins Greene Hopkins S. Ward Hopkins S. Ward Hopkins Lyndon Joseph Wanton Cooke
Italics Gorton, Smith and Dexter were presidents of Providence and Warwick only, since Coddington had received a commission to remove Newport and Portsmouth from their jurisdiction, valid from 1651 to 1654; before and after these dates the President presided over all four towns of the colony. Dudley presided over the "Narragansett Country" only, later to become Washington County, Rhode Island; Andros subsequently presided over the entire colony.