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Elisha Jenkins (1772 – May 18, 1849) was an American politician who served asNew York Secretary of State andMayor of Albany.

He was born to aProvidence, Rhode Island,Quaker family, who in 1784 came to settle atHudson, New York. He later lived inAlbany, New York, and was one of the first prominent Quakers there. Throughout his adult life, he was a dry goods merchant in the partnerships of Wendell & Jenkins and Thomas Jenkins & Sons. In 1792, he married Catherine Green (ca. 1771–1835), of Providence, R.I. After her death he married his second wife, Hannah.

He was aFederalist member of theNew York State Assembly fromColumbia County in 1795 and 1798, but changed sides in 1798 when his close political friendAmbrose Spencer joined the Democratic-Republicans.

Jenkins was Columbia County Treasurer from 1798 to 1802, andNew York State Comptroller from 1801 to 1806. He wasNew York Secretary of State from 1806 to 1807, from 1808 to 1810, and from 1811 to 1813. In April 1807, after his first term as Secretary of State, Jenkins was attacked in the street inAlbany bySolomon Van Rensselaer, aFederalist of whom Jenkins was a fierce critic. Jenkins sued for damages, and was awarded $2,500. He served as Quartermaster General of the Northern Department during theWar of 1812,Mayor of Albany from 1816 to 1819, andpresidential elector in 1840. He was twice a candidate for Congress: in the6th congressional district in1798,^[1] and in the9th congressional district in1816.^[2]

He died on May 18, 1849, inNew York City.

• Barbagallo, Tricia (March 10, 2007)."Fellow Citizens Read a Horrid Tale"(PDF). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 2009-05-19. Retrieved2008-06-04.
• Bielinski, Stefan (March 10, 2007)."Elisha Jenkins". Retrieved2008-03-20.
• [1] Entry at Long Island Genealogy
• [2] The Columbia County Civil List
• [3] Jenkins Genealogy, at Kindred Konnections
• [4] Essay with an account of Van Rensselaer's attack

• 1772 births
• 1848 deaths
• 19th-century mayors of places in New York (state)
• Mayors of Albany, New York
• Members of the New York State Assembly
• New York state comptrollers
• Secretaries of state of New York (state)
• American Quakers
• Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
• 1840 United States presidential electors
• 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature
• 18th-century members of the New York State Legislature
• Candidates in the 1798 United States elections

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