Jenkins, Joseph, 1818-1898.

Person

Jenkins, Joseph, 1818-1898.

Joseph Jenkins, diarist and swagman, was the fourth of thirteen children born to Jenkin and Elinor Jenkins, Blaenplwyf, in the parish of Llanfihangel Ystrad, Vale of Aeron on 27 February 1818. He married Elizabeth (Betty) Evans, Tynant, Ciliau Aeron, on 31 July 1846. They had nine children. The family moved to Trecefel, parish of Tregaron, in 1848. He won a prize for the best farm in Ceredigion in 1857 and in 1861 he was the judge for the best farm competition in Lampeter Show. He was an eminent figure in the community and showed a great interest in the educational needs of the children of Tregaron. Although he was a Unitarian he attended St Caron's Church where he was a churchwarden for many years. He adopted Amnon II as his bardic name and was a frequent contributor on agricultural matters in the weekly papers.

On 8 December 1868, Joseph Jenkins left Wales for Australia and remained there for twenty-five years, largely in Victoria, including Maldon, Ballarat and Castlemaine, mainly working as a swagman. He won the prize for the englyn (four line verse in strict metre) at the St David's Day Eisteddfod at Ballarat for many years. In November 1894 he decided to return to Wales and reached his homeland in January 1895. He died on 26 September 1898 aged 80 years old and was buried in the family vault at Capel y Groes Cemetery in Llanwnnen. In 1994, a small fountain was erected in Maldon as a memorial to him, 'The Welsh swagman Drinking Fountain', to commemorate the centenary of his departure from the railway station. He is known as 'The Pepys of the Soil' in Australia.