A. K. Hamilton Jenkin


Alfred Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin was a Cornish bard and historian with a particular interest in Cornish mining, publishing The Cornish Miner, now a classic, in 1927.

Birth and education

He was born in Redruth on 29 October 1900, the son of Alfred Hamilton Jenkin, and his wife, Amy Louisa Keep. He attended University College, Oxford, where in 1919 he became a friend of the famous author, C.S. Lewis: both were members of the Martlets Literary Society. He graduated as M.A. and B.Litt. at the University of Oxford.

Cornish activities

Jenkin was a founder bard of the Gorseth Kernow in 1928, taking the bardic name Lef Stenoryon. He was involved in persuading Cornwall County Council to set up Cornwall Record Office in the 1950s, and served on its committee until his death. In 1959 he was elected President of the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, a position he also held in 1960 and in 1962 he became its first life President.
He was elected President of the Royal Institution of Cornwall for the years 1958, 1959 and was vice-president in 1977.

Recognition as a historian

In 1954 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and was awarded his honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Exeter in 1978.

Personal life

He married Luned Marion Jacobs and had two daughters: Jennifer Hamilton Jenkin and Honor Bronwen Jenkin. The marriage ended in divorce and his second marriage was to Elizabeth Lenton.

Death

He died 20 August 1980 at Treliske Hospital, Truro

Publications

  • "Boulton and Watt in Cornwall" in Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society Annual Report, 1926The Cornish Miner: an Account of his Life Above and Underground from Early Times. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1927: three editions, including 3rd edition, 1962
  • "The Nationalisation of West-Country Minerals". 17 pages. Cornish Seafarers: the Smuggling, Wrecking and Fishing Life of Cornwall. London: J. M. Dent, 1932Cornwall and Its People: being a new impression of the composite work.... London: J. M. Dent, 1945 including:
  • *"Cornish Seafarers", 1932
  • *"Cornwall and the Cornish: the story, religion and folk-lore of ’The Western Land’", 1933
  • *"Cornish homes and customs", 1934
  • Cornwall and the Cornish: the story, religion and folk-lore of ’The Western Land’, London: J. Dent, 1933
  • Cornish Homes and Customs. London: J. M. Dent, 1934The Story of Cornwall. London: Thomas Nelson, 1934 The Western Land. London: Great Western Railway, 1937News from Cornwall. London: Westaway Books, 1946News from Cornwall, edited, with a memoir of William Jenkin, by A. K. Hamilton Jenkin. 1951Mines and Miners of Cornwall in 16 volumes, vols. 1–14 originally published by the Truro Bookshop, 1961 onwards and reprinted by various organisations:
  • * Pt. I. Around St. Ives
  • * Pt. II. St. Agnes, Perranporth
  • * Pt. III. Around Redruth
  • * Pt. IV. Penzance-Mount's Bay
  • * Pt. V. Hayle, Gwinear and Gwithian
  • * Pt. VI. Around Gwennap
  • * Pt. VII. Perranporth-Newquay
  • * Pt. VIII. Truro to the clay district
  • * Pt. IX. Padstow, St Columb and Bodmin
  • * Pt. X. Camborne and Illogan
  • * Pt. XI. Marazion, St Hilary and Breage
  • * Pt. XII. Liskeard area
  • * Pt. XIII. The Lizard-Falmouth-Mevagissey
  • * Pt. XIV. St Austell to Saltash
  • * Pt. XV. Calstock, Callington and Launceston Penzance: Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, 1969
  • * Pt. XVI. Wadebridge, Camelford and Bude Penzance: Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, 1970
  • * Index to Mines and Miners of Cornwall: Volumes 1–16. St. Austell: Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, 1978Mines of Devon. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1974
  • *Volume 1: South Devon
  • *Volume 2: Mines of Devon, north and east of Dartmoor: Sydenham Damerel, Lydford, Wheal Betsy, Wheal Friendship, Okehampton, Sticklepath, Chagford, Buckfastleigh, Ashburton, Ilsington, Teign Valley, Newton St. Cyres, and Upton Pyne.
  • *Both volumes reprinted by Landmark, 2005 Wendron Tin, 1978