William Jenkins (coal merchant) facts for kids

Sir William Albert Jenkins (born September 9, 1878 – died October 23, 1968) was an important Welsh businessman and politician. He was known for exporting coal and owning ships. He also served as a Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party.

Early Life and Business

William Jenkins was born in Swansea, Wales. His parents were Daniel and Elizabeth Jenkins. In 1906, he married Beatrice Tyler from Pirbright in Surrey, England. Beatrice passed away in 1967.

When William was just 13 years old, he started working as an office boy at the Swansea docks. This job taught him a lot about the coal and shipping industries. Later, he started his own company called W A Jenkins & Co. His company bought and sold coal and coke, and also helped arrange ships for trade. His business grew a lot during World War One.

William was also the President of the Swansea Chamber of Trade for several years. He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, which means he was an expert in shipping.

Becoming a Politician

William Jenkins was involved in politics at both the national and local levels.

Serving in Parliament

William Jenkins was first chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) in the 1922 general election. He was part of the National Liberal Party. He won the election for the area of Breconshire and Radnorshire. He won against a candidate from the Labour Party.

In the 1923 general election, he was elected again for the same area without anyone running against him. This time, he was simply a Liberal. However, in the 1924 general election, he faced candidates from both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. He lost his seat to the Conservatives.

While he was in Parliament, William Jenkins often spoke about issues related to industry and topics important to Wales. He did not run for Parliament again until 1936. At that time, he ran in a special election for the Llanelly area. He had the support of both local Liberal and Conservative parties. However, he did not win this election. The seat was kept by Jim Griffiths from the Labour Party, who was a leader of the South Wales coal miners.

Helping His Local Community

William Jenkins was a member of the Swansea Borough Council from 1927 to 1954. This council helped manage the local area. He also served as the Mayor of Swansea between 1947 and 1949.

In 1928, he became a Justice of the Peace for Glamorgan County. This meant he helped with local legal matters. He was also sometimes the head of the magistrates (judges) in the Gower area. He was also a member of the governing body for University College, Swansea.

Other Important Roles

During his long life, William Jenkins held many other public positions. These included:

• President of the South West Wales Savings Bank.
• President of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society in 1949.
• President of the Swansea and Central Wales Adult Deaf and Dumb Mission.
• President of the Deaf and Dumb Regional Association for Wales.

Special Awards and Honours

William Jenkins received a special award called a Knight Bachelor for his work in politics and public service. This award was announced in 1938. He also received an award from the Borough of Swansea Order of St John Council.

He also received several awards from other countries:

• In 1933, he became a Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Dannebrog from Denmark.
• In 1938, he received the Gold Cross Royal Order of George I from Greece.
• In 1949, he became a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) from France.

Later Years

Sir William Albert Jenkins passed away on October 23, 1968, at the age of 90.