Memorable Manitobans: Benjamin Stockton Jenkins (1859-1924)

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Benjamin Stockton Jenkins
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Railwayman.

Born at Madoc, Ontario on 8 April 1859, a grandson of Rev. William Jenkins (1779-1842) of Richmond Hill, Ontario and son of William Jenkins of Madoc. Known as Stockton, in 1874 he became a telegraph operator, at Madoc, for the Montreal Telegraph Company. He later worked for the Dominion Telegraph Company at Port Perry, Ontario and the Montreal Telegraph Company at Montreal. In 1882, he began an association with the Canadian Pacific Railway that continued for the rest of his business career. He was in Brandon in July 1883 when he was selected by John M. Egan to become superintendent of the railway’s telegraph department, based at Winnipeg, with jurisdiction extending from Port Arthur [Ontario] to Medicine Hat [North West Territories, now Alberta]. He retired in 1913 and took up farming and stock raising on a homestead west of Lake Manitoba.

On 27 October 1886, he married Henrietta Deacon (?-?), daughter of Arthur Deacon and Margaret Wallace of Winnipeg. They had three boys: Roy Stockton Jenkins (1887-?), Llewellyn Arthur “Lynn” Jenkins (1889-?), and William Eric Jenkins (1892-1917). All three took degrees at the University of Manitoba. Roy and Lynn were lawyers. All three enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. William was killed during the battle at Passchendaele; Roy and Lynn ended up at Chicago. While residing in Winnipeg, Jenkins was a member of the Manitoba Club, Canadian Club, St. Andrew’s Society, and Knox church.

He died on his farm near Mellonville on 22 September 1924 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Jenkins House (67 Middle Gate, Winnipeg)

Sources:

Birth, marriage and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

“Death calls pioneer railway telegrapher,” Manitoba Free Press, 24 September 1924, page 2.

We thank William Henry Jenkins for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 21 April 2019

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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