The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Jemina Jenkins emigrated to New South Wales with her mother and siblings in 1801, following the death of her father. In 1810 she married Austin Forrest, but he was killed barely a year later after being thrown from a horse. Their daughter died in infancy. Jemima’s second marriage was to Robert Jenkins in 1813. She bore two sons. In 1822, Robert Jenkins, too, died after falling from his horse.

As a widow of two marriages, Jemima Jenkins owned property at Richmond and Lake Illawarra, and she expanded her holdings from there. She acquired over 4,444 hectares of grazing land. By the 1828 census she had 9,075 acres with 2,000 cattle and 320 sheep. Jenkins also owned property in Sydney, and supervised a store in George Street selling wine and glassware. She later sold this to buy land near Campbelltown.