David Jenkins

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(29 May 1912 – 6 March 2002) was the Librarian of the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...

from 1969 to 1979 and author of an official history of the library. Stephens, Meic

Biography

Jenkins was born in Blaenclydach,

Rhondda Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley (, 'large') and t ...

the son of an

Aberaeron Aberaeron (), previously anglicised as Aberayron, is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales. Located on the coast between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, its resident population was 1,274 in the 2021 census. The name of the town i ...

-born collier but, as a consequence of illness, spent most of his childhood with an aunt and uncle in

Penrhyn-coch Penrhyn-coch is a small village in the community of Trefeurig, Ceredigion, Wales, located between Afon Stewi and Nant Seilo rivers, close to where they merge into Afon Clarach. The village is approximately north-east of Aberystwyth. The vil ...

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

. He was educated at Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth; and the

University College of Wales, Aberystwyth Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...

, graduating BA with Honours in Welsh Literature, 1936, and MA in 1948. In 1979 an Hon.

DLitt Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

Wales was conferred on him.Roberts, Brynley Francis
Jenkins, David (1912-2002)
Monograph in online ''Dictionary of Welsh Biography'' at

He was employed at the National Library of Wales in 1939 as an assistant in the Department of

Manuscripts A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has c ...

. Conscripted into the Army, he served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a major in north-western Europe, "taking part in the

liberation of Paris The liberation of Paris () was a battle that took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the German garrison surrendered the French capital on 25 August 1944. Paris had been occupied by Nazi Germany since the signing of the Armisti ...

and the push into Germany and Poland, where he was among the first British soldiers to reach the concentration camps". He resumed his career at the National Library, becoming an Assistant Keeper in the Department of Printed Books from 1949 to 1957. He was later appointed Keeper, 1957–1962, Senior Keeper, 1962–1969, and, finally, Librarian, 1969–1979. He was the editor of the '' Journal of the Welsh Bibliographical Society'' from 1964 to 1979, and editor of the '' National Library of Wales Journal'' from 1968 to 1979. He served as the General Commissioner of Income Tax 1968–1987 and the chairman of the

Welsh Books Council The Books Council of Wales (; previously known as the Welsh Books Council) is a literature advocacy organisation in Wales. It was established in 1961, and today it is funded by the Welsh Government. The council's aims are to promote the interest ...

from 1974 to 1980. Jenkins received a

in 1977. His history of the National Library, ''A Refuge in Peace and War'', was written over a 20-year period. He died, aged 89, in Aberystwyth on 6 March 2002.

Personal life

Jenkins married Menna Rhys, the only daughter of the Rev. Owen Evans Williams of

, in 1948. They had one son and one daughter.''Who Was Who?''

A & C Black A & C Black is a British book publishing company, owned since 2002 by Bloomsbury Publishing. The company is noted for publishing ''Who's Who'' since 1849 and the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' between 1827 and 1903. It offers a wide variety of boo ...

London (2003) incorporated in ''Who Was Who'' Volume 11 (2001–2005),

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London (2006)

Bibliography

*''A Refuge in Peace and War: The National Library of Wales to 1952'' (NLW, 2002) *''Thomas Gwynn Jones'' (Gwasg Gee, 1973) *''Bro a Bywyd Thomas Gwynn Jones 1871-1949'' (Cyngor Y Celfyddydau, 1984) *''Bro Dafydd ap Gwilym'' (Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion, 1992) *''O Blas Gogerddan i Horeb (Taith Dwy Ganrif)'' (Gwasg Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, 1993)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, David 1912 births 2002 deaths Welsh librarians Welsh editors Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Ardwyn School, Aberystwyth Alumni of Aberystwyth University People from Clydach Vale 20th-century Welsh historians Anglo-Welsh writers