HISTOR]^ OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



39 



John Wildman Jenks, born 6 mo. 21, 

 1790, studied medicine and removed to 

 Jefiferson county, Pennsylvania, where he 

 died 4 mo. 4. 1S50. He married in 1816, 

 Mary Day Barclaj', who bore him ten 

 children, most oi whom were distin- 

 guished in their professions, the young- 

 est, George Augustus Jenks, being a 

 member of the Forty-fourth United 

 States Congress, and the Democratic 

 nominee for governor of Pennsylvania 

 in 1898. 



3. Thomas, born 10 mo. 9. 1738. died 

 5 mo. 30, 1799, married, in 1762, Rebec- 

 ca Richardson, daughter of Joseph and 

 Mary (Paxson) Richardson, of Middle- 

 town. 



4. Joseph, born 12 mo. 22, 1743, died 

 5 mo. 1820; married 6 mo. 22, 1763, Eliza- 

 beth Pearson, daughter of William and 

 Elizabeth (Duer) Pearson; see forward. 



5. Elizabeth, born 3 mo. 15, 1746, died 

 12 mo. 30, 1808; married 12 mo. 23. 1762, 

 William Richardson, son of Joseph and 

 Mary (Paxson) Richardson. 



6. Ann. born 9 mo. 8, 1749. died about 

 1812; married 2 mo. 20, 1770, Isaac Wat- 

 son. 



Thomas Jenks, second son of Thomas 

 and Mercy, was born and reared on the 

 homestead in Middletown, and spent his 

 whole life there. He was a prominent 

 and influential man in the community. 

 He served as a member of colonial as- 

 sembly for the year 1775, and w^as a 

 member of the constitutional convention 

 of 1790, and was the first member of the 

 state senate from Bucks under the con- 

 stitution then adopted, and served con- 

 tinuously in that body until his death. 

 May 4, 1799. For the first six j^ears of 

 his service the district which he repre- 

 sented was composed of the counties of 

 Delaware, Chester and Bucks, while dur- 

 ing his last two terms the district con- 

 sisted of Chester, IVIontgomery and 

 Bucks. He was an active member of the 

 upper house and served on many im- 

 portant committees. He married, in 1762, 

 Rebecca Richardson, and they were the 

 parents of nine children, eight of whom 

 lived to mature age. They were as follows : 



1. Rachel, born 5 mo. 23, 1763, died 

 2 mo. 12, 1830; married 10 mo. 19, 1786, 

 Thomas Story. 



2. Mary, born 3 mo. 12, 1765, died in 

 infancy. 



3. Joseph R., born 9 mo. 16. 1767, died 

 6 mo. 26, 1858: married first to mo. 10, 

 1792, Sarah Watson; second, 6 mo. 6, 

 1809, Ann West; and third. 2 mo. 29, 

 T844, Ann Ely of Philadelphia, a widow. 

 Joseph R. Jenks was a prosperous and 

 prominent merchant in Philadelphia. 



4. Mercy, born 10 mo. 20. 1769. died 

 10 mo. 19. 1836; married 10 mo. 18, 1792, 

 Abraham Carlile. 



5. Thomas, born 2 mo. 4. 1772- died 2 

 mo. 27. 1828: married first, in I797. 

 Thomazine Trimble, and second, in 1816, 

 Rachel Wilson. 



6. Rebecca, born i mo. i, 1775, married 

 I mo. 15, 1801, Jonathan Fell. 



7. Mary, born 7 mo. 9, 1777, died in 

 1854, unmarried. 



8. Phincas, born 5 mo. 3, 1781, died 

 8 mo. 6, 1851, married first, Eliza Mur- 

 ray, and second, Amelia Snyder, see for- 

 ward. 



g. Ruth, born 8 mo. 19. 1788. died 2 mo. 

 16, 1843, married 11 mo. 8, 1810, Joseph 

 Dickson. 



DR. PHINEAS JENKS, eighth child 

 of Thomas and Rebecca (Richardson) 

 Jenks, was reared on the old homestead 

 in Middletown. He chose the medical 

 profession, and was a student of the cele- 

 brated Dr. Benjamin Rush, and a gradu- 

 ate of the University of Pennsylvania. 

 He began the practice of medicine in 

 Newtown, and continued to practice 

 there until his death in 1851, becoming 

 one of the eminent physicians of his day. 

 He was the first president of the Bucks 

 County Medical Association, and con- 

 tinued at its head until his death. He took 

 an active interest in the affairs of his 

 county; state and neighborhood, and was 

 one of the influential and prominent men, 

 outside of his profession. He was a 

 member of the state legislature for five 

 years, 1815-19, and a member of the con- 

 stitutional convention of 1837-38. He 

 was one of the organizers of the St. 

 Lukes Protestant Episcopal church at 

 Newtown, of which he was rector's war- 

 den for many years. He was a good 

 extemporaneous speaker, and was al- 

 ways counted on to lend his aid to any 

 meritorious project in the neighborhood. 

 He was twice married. His first wife 

 was Eliza Murray, daughter of General 

 Francis Murray of Newtown, wdiom he 

 married 3 mo. 20, 1806. She died 3 rno. 

 16, 1807, leaving one daughter, who died 

 in' infancy. He married (second) on 3 

 mo. 28, 1820. Amelia Snyder, daughter of 

 Governor Simon Snyder. She was born 

 June 21. 1791. and died August 6, 1859. 

 They were the parents of seven chil- 

 dren, three of whom, (Simon Snyder, 

 Frederick A. and Henry L.) died in 

 childhood, the latter being a twin broth- 

 er of General A. Jenks. Esq. Those who 

 survived were: Elizabeth M.. born July 

 29. 1822, died March 29, 1887; married 

 Rev. Joseph I. Elsegood, rector of Trin- 

 ity Protestant Episcopal church of East 

 New York, Long Island, who died in 

 1884. William Wallace Jenks, born il 

 mo. 2, 1825, a merchant in Philadelphia; 

 he died 7 mo. 20. 1857. P. Frederick 

 Jenks. born February 27. 1832, studied 

 medicine and located at St. Louis, Mis- 

 souri, soon after his graduation. At the 

 outbreak of the civil war he enlisted in 

 the First Missouri Light Artillery, and 

 was in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort 

 Donelson and Pittsburg Landing. He 



