The first family history book I found (at the New England Historical and Genealogical Society Library) was the Jenks Family of America by William B, Browne. The book was commissioned by Harlan Walker Jenks and published in 1952, ten years after his death. On page 399, I found my great grandmother, Effie Clarissa Lee, who married Lemuel Weaver and was born on August 3, 1859. She is listed, along with her siblings, beneath her mother, Esther Jenks Lee, married to Charles Norton Lee. Great-Great Grandmother Lee [Esther Jenks] was born in Southfield Twp, Oakland County, Michigan on October 24, 1832, before Michigan became a state. The Jenks line follows through her father, Morris Jenks to his parents, Laban and Prudence White Jenks, all the way to Joseph Jenks, the inventor, who held the first patent issued in the American Colonies.

When I did my own research on the line, I found a number of inaccuracies and corrected these in my own records of our lineage and family. I then received histories from distant cousins that I and met through various online sites. Their histories were word-for-word out of the book. In every case, they claimed this record had been in their families for generations (i.e. preceding the publication date). This has led me to believe this was an early crowd sourced project.

I was most surprised a few years after returning the original book from the NEHGS Library, that a copy was available to purchase. Of course, I bought it!! Then to my further surprise a few years later, I found the book had been digitized and available for download; which, of course, I did.

In part of the biographical data about, my Great-Great-Great Grandmother Jenks (Prudence White) was the clause that said she was the descendant of a Mayflower passenger. There was no mention of which one or the lineage that got her back to that person. I have spent a lot of time gathering evidence on her lineage and have as yet tied her to any of the Mayflower passengers. I have applied to the Mayflower society on a different pedigree line and have been admitted, but I still am looking for this second connection.

I did confirm the Jenks line back to participation in the American Revolution (Patriot Side), and have used that connection to join the Sons of the American Revolution. But, in tracing Prudence’s pedigree, I find I have potential supplemental applications I can make to the SAR!