John Jenkins was born in England and arrived in Northampton County, Virginia by 1653, where he worked as a seafaring merchant. In 1663 Jenkins moved to Perquimans in North Carolina. Jenkins became a member of the North Carolina Council by 1670, and in 1672 he became the deputy governor, after which point he was referred to as a colonel. Jenkins, as the head of the anti-proprietary party, went in and out of power throughout the 1670s. Eventually in February 1679 Jenkins became acting governor, a role he held until his death on December 17, 1681.