Anthony Jenkinson

Anthony Jenkinson (1529 – 1610/1611) was born at Market Harborough, Leicestershire, on 8 October 1529. He was one of the first Britons to explore Muscovy and present day Russia. Jenkinson was a traveler and explorer on behalf of the Muscovy Company and the British crown. He also met Ivan the Terrible several times during his trips to Moscow and Russia. He detailed the accounts of his travel through several written works over his life.

Family life

Anthony Jenkinson's father, William Jenkinson was of great property and wealth. Anthony Jenkinson was thus trained in his earlier years for a mercantile career. By the year 1568, Jenkinson had become a pivotal researcher for the Muscovy Company. It was in this same year that Jenkinson married his wife Judith Marshe, daughter of John Marshe and Alice Marshe. They were married 26 January 1568. His father-in-law had extensive business ties, including being one of the founding members of the Company. Jenkinson thus benefited greatly through these financial ties. Jenkinson and his wife had 6 daughters and 5 sons, of which only 4 of their daughters and 1 of their sons survived. There exists speculation that Jenkinson had an illegitimate daughter, Anne Beck or Whateley, who was to be married to William ShakespeareFact|date=December 2007. However, these claims are widely disregarded as mere rumorsFact|date=December 2007. By 1606 Jenkinson was living in a manor house in Ashton.dn His wife passed away before him from a bad case of palsy. Jenkinson was buried on 16 February 1611 at Holy Trinity Church in Teigh.

Anthony's son Sir Robert was the father of the first of the Jenkinson Baronets of Hawkesbury.

Travels to Muscovy

Jenkinson traveled to Muscovy several times during his life. Many of the times, he went due to business negotiations on behalf of the Muscovy Company.

First Expedition-1558

Jenkinson was in Moscow in the year 1558. He began his journey by traveling south, in which he arrived at the town of Astrakhan. They continued their journey south-east after traveling across the Caspian Sea, and from there traveled for several months across Tatar lands through the recently conquered Khanate of Kazan, Nogai Horde and Astrakhan Khanate. Ultimately, their expedition ran into many hardships and they were forced to retrace their steps. They arrived back in Moscow in 1559, and ultimately could not travel back to England until 1560 once the sea passages opened up again. On this journey, however, Jenkinson did manage to make a map of some of the Russian territories. His map was incorporated into Ortelius' atlas "Theatrum orbis terrarum".

econd Expedition-1561

Upon his arrival back from his first expedition into Russia, Jenkinson immediately began to prepare for a second expedition there. His intent was to travel to Russia and continue through to Persia. He arrived in Moscow in August 1561, with the intent to talk trade terms with Ivan the Terrible. However, he was not capable of having an audience with him until March 1562. From there, Jenkinson traveled across Russia and into Persia. On his trip, he managed to attain preferential trading deals on behalf of the Muscovy Company. Also, he made a great impression on Ivan the Terrible who extended a large extension of trading rights to the Muscovy Company. In July 1564 Jenkinson returned to London.

Third Expedition-1566

Jenkinson was sent to Russia for a third time in order to settle a dispute regarding the trade deals that England had made with Russia during Jenkinson's last voyage there in 1564. Upon his arrival, in a letter sent back to his friend, Jenkinson mentioned the cruelty that had swept over the Russian territories due to Ivan. In order to successfully negotiate the trade terms, Jenkinson was sent back to England. He was ordered to bring war experts to Russia to help Ivan with his wars. Due to this voyage, Jenkinson successfully negotiated new trade terms with the Russian monarch in September 1567.no

Fourth Expedition- 1571

In July 1571, Jenkinson was sent to Russia on his fourth and final expedition there. In 1568, Ivan had revoked the trading privileges that Jenkinson had successfully attained in 1566. On behalf of the queen, Jenkinson was sent to reinstate the trade agreement. After being held up at Kholmogory for 6 months due to plague, Jenkinson was finally able to arrive in Moscow by May 1572. During his voyage Jenkinson remarked on the devastation that the Crimean Tatars had committed upon parts of the country. By the 23 July, Jenkinson had successfully reinstated all trading privileges with Ivan and Russia.

Writings

Jenkinson's maps of Russia were incorporated into Ortelius' famous atlas book "Theatrum orbis terrarum". Also, history scholars have attained many of Jenkinson's personal letters, in which he describes Russia. Particularly, he makes mention of Ivan's terrible and atrocious form of rule. Also, Jenkinson's travel accounts were used in Hakluyt's travel book "Principal Navigations".

References

*Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies (http://www.oxforddnb.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/view/articleHL/14736?docPos=54&anchor=match)