Richard Garfield Jenkin (9 October 1925 – 29 October 2002), was a Cornish nationalist politician and one of the founding members of Mebyon Kernow. He was also a Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow.[1]
In 1947, Jenkin was made a Bard of the Gorseth Kernow through Cornish language qualification,[2] while serving in the British Army.[citation needed] He chose the bardic name Map Dyvroeth, meaning 'son of exile'.[2]
He was a Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow twice, between 1976 and 1982 and between 1985 and 1988.[3][4]
Jenkin was secretary of the International Celtic Congress and later its president. He gave strong support to the Cornish Constitutional Convention.[citation needed] He was president of the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies from 1991 to 1992.[citation needed]
In 1951, Jenkin was one of the founding members of the Cornish nationalist party Mebyon Kernow.[2] Jenkin and his wife produced a magazine in 1952 called New Cornwall, which publicised Mebyon Kernow news and policies.[citation needed]
He served as the party's chairman between 1973 and 1983 and became its Honorary President in 1988.[2]
Jenkin was MK's first candidate for both the House of Commons and the European Parliament.[2] Jenkin fought two Westminster parliamentary elections (Falmouth and Camborne in 1970 and St Ives in 1983). In 1979 he stood for the European parliamentary constituency on a platform of a “Cornwall Only” seat rather than one shared with part of Devon and polled 10,205 votes, 5.9% of the total vote.[5]
He was a member of Crowan Parish Council from 1964 until 1995.[citation needed]
Jenkin was born on 9 October 1925 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, where his Cornish father was in training as a clergyman.[citation needed]
Jenkin married Ann TrevenenRedruth in 1954; their marriage produced: four children, Morwenna, Loveday, Gawen and Conan.[6] Ann became the first female Grand Bard from 1997 until 2000,[citation needed] and has served as the Honorary President of Mebyon Kernow since 2011.[citation needed] Loveday served as the party's leader between 1990 and 1997.
, fromJenkin read Chemistry at Manchester University and taught in Plymouth, Monmouthsire and Totnes before he settled in Leedstown in 1960, where he taught at Helston School.[2]
He died in Truro on 29 October 2002, aged 77.[citation needed]