Tom Jenkins (also known as Thomas Joseph Jenkins; 1797 – 1859) was Britain's first black school teacher. As an adult, he travelled to London where he trained and worked as a teacher at the British and Foreign School Society. He graduated in January 1821 and travelled to Mauritius as a teacher. By 1823, he was chosen to lead the newly established free Government "Model School" in Port Louis. He served the remainder of his teaching career in Mauritius and died in June 1859, leaving a widow and four children.
Biography
Jenkins was the son of a native chief, according to an 1818 letter. As an infant, Jenkins traveled with Scottish sea captain James Swanson to Britain, leaving Africa in January 1803 and arriving in Liverpool in May of the same year before traveling to Hawick. After Swanson's death from illness in September 1803, Jenkins lived with Swanson's relatives in the area.