He was the chief justice of the Calcutta and Bombay High Court, as well as a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

He was the younger son of solicitor Richard David Jenkins and Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Lewis.

[2] Jenkins passed from Cheltenham College to the University of Oxford, and was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1883.

[citation needed] He became the chief justice of the Bombay High Court for ten years (1898–1908); thereafter, Jenkins was selected as a member of the Council of India.

[6] He also served as District Grand Master of Freemasons for Bombay and Bengal and took an active part in all important public movements on social questions relating to British India.