JENKINSON, Sir Robert, 2nd Bt. (c.1655-1710), of Walcot, Oxon.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Feb. 1701
Dec. 1701
1708 - 30 Jan. 1710

Family and Education

b. c.1655, 1st s. of Sir Robert Jenkinson, 1st Bt., of Walcot by Mary, da. of Sir John Bankes†, c.j.c.p. 1641-4, of Corfe Castle, Dorset. educ. Brasenose, Oxf. matric. 11 Nov. 1671, aged 17; I. Temple 1672. m. 14 Feb. 1684, Sarah (d. 8 Aug. 1709), da. and h. of Thomas Tomlins, Grocer, of London and Bromley, Mdx., 9s. 5da. suc. fa. 1677.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Oxon. 1679-80, Oxon. and Oxford 1689-90; freeman, Woodstock 1680, Oxford 1684; j.p. Oxon. 1680-Mar. 1688, Oct. 1688-96, Oxon. and Oxford, 1700-d.; dep. lt. Oxon. 1681-Feb. 1688, 1689-96, 1702-d.2

Biography

Jenkinson came from a family of mercantile origin which had settled in Oxfordshire shortly before the Civil War, and maintained neutrality, though with some difficulty. His father, however, served on local commissions from 1647 and sat for the county in the three Protectorate Parliaments. He was created a baronet in 1661 and continued to hold local office till his death.3

Jenkinson himself, a churchman and an opponent of exclusion, was appointed to the commission of the peace and the lieutenancy in 1680-1. To the lord lieutenant’s questions in 1688 he replied that he could not say that, if it should be his chance to be a Parliament man, he could give his consent to taking off either the Penal Laws or Tests, and was removed from county office. In 1689 he stood as Tory candidate for Oxfordshire and headed the poll. He voted to agree with the Lords that the throne was not vacant, but he was not an active Member of the Convention, making no recorded speeches and being appointed only to the committee to restore the university charters. Despite allegations of Jacobitism and his refusal of the Association in 1696, he held his seat for the remainder of his life, and passed it on to his son, the 3rd baronet. He died on 30 Jan. 1710 and was buried at Charlbury.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: Leonard Naylor / Geoffrey Jaggar

Notes

  • 1. Misc. Gen. et Her. (ser. 2), v. 9-10, 63; East Anglian, n.s. xiii. 323; Soc. of Genealogists, St. Botolph Aldersgate par. reg.
  • 2. Woodstock council acts, 1679-99 (6 Sept. 1680); Oxford Council Acts (Oxf. Hist. Soc. n.s. ii), 163; Bodl. Carte 79, f. 680.
  • 3. Misc. Gen. et Her. (ser. 2), v. 7-8; Cal. Comm. Comp. 3152.
  • 4. Bodl. G. A. Oxon 4/6/2.