Henry Jenkins

Henry Jenkins was my 4th great grandfather. He was born about 1860 and was the youngest child born to Bridget Guy and Robert ‘Bob’ Jenkins. As I’ve written in previous blog posts, it has been difficult to research Henry because I have not been able to find him in the 1880 US census and I have only found 1 marriage record for Henry–his 1898 marriage to Mary Mathieu.

Henry was recorded as the father of several children: Simon Felix, Oliver, Victoria, Louisa, Henry Jr., Matthew, Lloyd, Profit, Clarence, Agnes, Mary and Maviola. He was recorded on the 1900 US census, living in St Mary Parish, Ward 7, with Mary to whom he’d been married 2 years. He was listed as John Jenkins, instead of Henry. Included in their household were: Victoria, 7; Louisa, 5; and Henry, 3.

The 1900 census added the question regarding how many children a woman had given birth to and how many of those children were still living. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine how many children Henry or any man may have fathered. I obtained social security card applications for 2 of Henry’s sons; Simon Felix Jenkins and Henry Jenkins Jr. This provided me with the names of Henry’s 2 wives: Elsie Edwards and Madeline Charles. As mentioned in an earlier post, I believe that Henry’s earlier wives may have died shortly after giving birth. I could only find Elsie (Alcee) Edwards on the 1870 Iberia Parish census. I found a Madeline Charles on the 1870 St Mary Parish census, but have not been able to determine if this person was the mother of Henry Jenkins Jr. and presumably Victoria and Louisa as well, since both were older than Henry Jr.

According to the 1900 census, Henry worked as a day laborer who owned his own home and could neither read or write. Information was provided to the census taker that Henry’s parents were both born in Maryland, despite the fact that his mother, Bridget, was most likely born in St Mary Parish. Bridget’s parents’ place of birth was recorded as Maryland on 1880 census and as Louisiana and Virginia on 1900 census. That Maryland was listed as Henry’s mother, Bridget’s birthplace may indicate that he was aware of a connection to a Maryland ancestor.

Census data for 1910 Census data recorded Henry’s answer that he had been married 3 times. Henry, Mary, Louisa, Henry Jr as well as 3 children born since the previous census: Matthew, Lloyd, Crawford (Profit), were living together in St Mary Parish, Ward 7. Henry’s employment status was recorded as ‘working out‘ and he was described as a ‘renter’ and not as owner as he was per the 1900 census. I will see if I can find out if the term ‘working out’ meant that Henry was paying off a debt and that is the reason for the change in his home ownership status.

Missing from Henry’s 1910 household was daughter Victoria. I have not found Victoria on the 1910 census, but I know that she married Matthew Schaffer. I found a death record for a child born in 1915 to Victoria Jenkins and Mat Schaffer. I did find Mat Chaffer (Schaffer) listed on the 1910 St Mary Parish census as a twenty-seven-year-old man who had been married for five years but there was no listing for a wife in his household. Mat worked as a railroad laborer. All branches of my family tree originated from enslaved people that lived in Iberia and St Mary Parish. Because of this, I think it is inevitable that marriages would occur between the 2 branches. I have not been able to say definitively, but I theorized that Mat Schaffer was the eighteen-year-old Matthew Smith who was recorded in the home of Joseph and Charlotte Smith (my maternal 3rd great grandparents on my Smith tree) on the 1900 Iberia Parish census.

Henry and Mary were still living in Ward 7 at the time of the 1920 census. Four more children were recorded in their household: Clarence, Agnes, Maviola and Mary. The family lived on Pepper Road in a home that per the census was rented. No person in the household was recorded as being able to read or write. Henry, Mary, Matthew, Lloyd and Profit all worked as farm laborers.

Henry’s daughter Victoria , 25 and husband Matthew Chaffer, 31 (Schaffer) were recorded on the 1920 St Mary Parish census living on Jefferson Highway. Living with them were children: Beatrice, 8; Liza, 6; and Cigas, 1. The household listed next on the census included Matthew’s aunt Cora Smith. That household included Jack Elware, his wife Cora, his nineteen-year-old stepdaughter Agnes Robertson and his sixteen-year-old daughter Alma.

Henry’s son Felix and wife were living in Beaumont at the time of the 1920 census. Felix worked as a shipyard laborer and his wife Mary as a cook for a private family.

As I mentioned previously, Henry’s son Oliver Jenkins, wife Amelia Smith and family were missing from the 1910 and the 1920 census.

I have not yet found Henry’s daughter Louisa on the 1920 census, but I did find her on the 1930 St Mary Parish census living in the household with her in-laws, Thomas and Lucy Volter. Also living there were Louisa’s children Jacob, Thomas and Moses.

Henry died October 21, 1925. His age was recorded as seventy, suggesting that he was born in 1855. The information regarding his parents was recorded as unknown. The informant for the death certificate information was Henry’s son-in-law Nathan Volter. Henry’s burial place was ‘near Jeanerette’.

Henry’s daughter Victoria Jenkins Schaffer died Aug. 1, 1921 of breast cancer. Her place of death was listed as Albania. For the 1930 census, Victoria’s children Eliza Schoffer (Schaffer), 15; and Cedgis Schoffer (Schaffer), 11; were recorded in the household with their aunt, Cora Henry. Also in the home was Cora’s husband Jack Henry and her 6-year-old grandson LeRoy Thomas.

Henry’s widow Mary, son Clarence and daughter Maviola were living together on 1930 St Mary Parish census in Ward 7 in a home that they owned per census records. Both Clarence, 18; and Maviola 11; could read and write. Fifty-two-year-old Mary and Clarence worked as farm laborers. Living with Mary was daughter Agnes, her husband Charles Wesley and their son Henry.

Henry’s sons Matthew and Lloyd were married and living in Texas by 1930. Matthew Jenkins and wife Viola LaFleur were living in Jefferson County. Lloyd Jenkins and Ida Griffin were married 1929 in Harris County, Texas.

Henry’s son Oliver Jenkins and wife Amelia Smith who had were missing from the 1910 and 1920 US Census, miraculously were recorded on the 1930 Iberia Parish census. Their household included Oliver, 52; Media, 42; Livingston, 17; Olie (Oliver), 12; Solomon, 6; Charlotte, 15; and Cora, 10. Solomon was not Oliver’s son, but his grandson. Solomon’s mother was Elsie Jenkins. Olie (Oliver Jr.), Charlotte and Cora were recorded as being able to read and write. Oliver and Amelia’s children: Elzenia, Florence, Elsie, Gladys and Austin had all married and were living in their respective households in Iberia Parish and in California.

Henry’s Descendants

• Felix Jenkins
• Oliver Jenkins
• Victoria Jenkins
• Louisa Jenkins
• Henry Jenkins Jr
• Matthew Jenkins
• Lloyd Jenkins
• Profit Jenkins
• Clarence Jenkins
• Agnes Jenkins Wesley
• Malviola Jenkins Franklin
• Mary

Oliver’s Descendants

• Elzenia Jenkins Newchurch
• Florence Jenkins
• Gladys Jenkins
• Elsie Jenkins Hills
• Austin Jenkins
• Livingston Jenkins
• Octavia Jenkins 1915-1915
• Charlotte Jenkins
• Oliver Jenkins
• Cora Jenkins

Best,