Isaac Jenks (17 March 1816 – 29 January 1888) was an English industrialist and

ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a large ...

, who served as Mayor of

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

in 1872–1873. he became a prominent Wesleyan Methodist benefactor.

Iron and steel

Jenks started work at 12 years of age as an apprentice in a local ironworks founded four years earlier by the first Mayor of Wolverhampton, George Thorneycroft. After qualifying, he spent 20 years working in the local iron and steel industry and learned the value of a higher-end product. In 1857, he founded the Minerva Iron and Steel Works, followed closely by the Beaver Works. Eventually, capacity grew. In some ten years the two sites were supplying some 80 per cent of US steel imports from the UK. They were well placed on the

Birmingham Canal Navigations Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a network of canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country. The BCN is connected to the rest of the English canal system at several junctions. It was owned and oper ...

for access to world markets. Brands such as ''"Jenks"'' steel and ''"Beaver"'' iron appeared on advertising for wholesale iron and steel and finished products, with evidence of agents in London and New York. Little is known of the firm after 1902. By 1908 the works had been demolished in favour of coal wharves.

Personal life

Jenks was born in

Sedgley Sedgley is a town in the north of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, Sedgley is on the A459 road between Wolverhampt ...

, Staffordshire in 1816. He was a Wesleyan Methodist and a generous benefactor, who supported good causes and projects, particularly to do with his church and with technical education. He married Rebecca Jones from

Dawley Dawley ( ) is a constituent town and civil parish in Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. It was originally, in 1963, going to be the main centre of the 'Dawley New Town' plan before it was decided in 1968 to name the new town as 'Telford ...

, Shropshire in 1839. As he grew more wealthy he moved his family to new homes, finally living at Morley House, Dunstall Hill, north of the town, now a housing estate. He served as Mayor of Wolverhampton in 1872–1873 and donated the gold chain and badge of office still in use today. He died in

Rhyl Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at ...

Flintshire , settlement_type = County , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms of Flint ...

, Wales on 29 January 1888.

References

1816 births 1888 deaths Mayors of Wolverhampton People from Wolverhampton People from Sedgley English ironmasters People of the Victorian era 19th-century English businesspeople {{England-bio-stub