Background
Timothy Jenkins was born in Barre, Massachusetts on January 29, 1799. His father died when he was 16, and Jenkins moved to Washington County, New York in 1817.
United States representative politician
Timothy Jenkins was born in Barre, Massachusetts on January 29, 1799. His father died when he was 16, and Jenkins moved to Washington County, New York in 1817.
He attended academies in Salem and White Creek, and then taught school while studying law with Samuel Beardsley and William H. Maynard in Utica and Lauren Ford in Herkimer. Among the attorneys who studied under Jenkins was Breese J. Stevens.
Jenkins was admitted to the bar in 1824. He resided in Vernon and Oneida Castle, where he continued to practice law. In Vernon he served in local office, including clerk of the village board of trustees.
In Oneida Castle he served in local office including postmaster and fire warden.
Jenkins was the attorney for the Oneida Indians from 1838 to 1845 as they negotiated with the state of New York to resolve land claims and create reservations. He served as district attorney for Oneida County from 1840 to 1845.
Jenkins was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Congresses (March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1848 to the Thirty-first Congress.
Jenkins was elected to the Thirty-second Congress (March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853), and served as chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1852 to the Thirty-third Congress. According to some accounts, he was the Wilmot Proviso"s actual author As a result of his anti-slavery views Jenkins became a Republican when the party was founded.
In 1856 he served as delegate to the first Republican National Convention.
In 1857 he was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for a seat on the New York Court of Appeals, losing to Hiram Denio. Jenkins died in on December 24, 1859 while attending a session of the New York Supreme Court in Martinsburg.
He was interred at City Cemetery in Oneida Castle. In 1822 Jenkins married Florilla Tuttle of Vernon.
Jenkins accumulated a large collection of books and papers, including legal and historical works, speeches, and government publications.
A collection of Jenkins" letters, many concerning his antislavery efforts, were donated to the New York State Library.
Republican Party, Democratic Party.
Member United States House