- Half-title verso lists. Jenkins printed a list of Wodehouse's books on the back of the half-title, and dealers use the number of titles in that list to tell first issues from later issues of the first edition.
- The Inimitable Jeeves (1923). The first issue lists 10 titles on the half-title verso.
Publisher
Jenkins
Herbert Jenkins Ltd was a London publisher founded in 1912 by Herbert George Jenkins, best known as P. G. Wodehouse's main British publisher from 1918, later merged into Barrie & Jenkins.
- Editions tracked
- 10
- First editions
- 7
- Books
- 10
- Years
- 1924 to 1968
Jenkins is a publisher active from 1924. We track 10 editions it published between 1924 and 1968, 7 of them first editions across 10 books. How Jenkins marked its first editions is set out below, with a checker for the year on your title page.
About Jenkins
Herbert Jenkins Ltd was a London publishing house founded in 1912 by the writer and publisher Herbert George Jenkins (1876 to 1923), who had spent about eleven years at The Bodley Head. Its first book was W. Riley's novel Windyridge, and in 1915 it published A. S. Neill's first book, A Dominie's Log.
Addresses. The firm's address was Arundel Place, London, until at least 1916, and afterwards 3 Duke of York Street, St James's, a narrow building just off Jermyn Street.
Authors. Jenkins's own comic character Joseph Bindle appeared in a run of novels from 1916, with jackets drawn by Saloman van Abbé. From Piccadilly Jim in 1918 the firm was P. G. Wodehouse's principal British publisher, issuing titles such as The Inimitable Jeeves (1923) and Ukridge (1924). Edmund Blampied designed jackets for Jenkins titles including Wodehouse's Love Among the Chickens and Jill the Reckless (both 1921).
Later history. The business carried on after Jenkins died in 1923. In 1964 it merged with Barrie & Rockliff to form Barrie & Jenkins, which passed to Hutchinson, then Century, and then Random House, where the name survives as a specialist hardback imprint.
Holding a copy? The first edition checker shows Jenkins's practice for the year on your title page.
Identification
How to identify Jenkins first editions
Books
Published by Jenkins
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a Jenkins first edition?
- Half-title verso lists. Jenkins printed a list of Wodehouse's books on the back of the half-title, and dealers use the number of titles in that list to tell first issues from later issues of the first edition. - The Inimitable Jeeves (1923). The first issue lists 10 titles on the half-title verso.
How many Jenkins books does MyVolumes track?
We track 10 editions published by Jenkins, 7 of them first editions, across 10 books.
Where these facts come from
- Herbert George Jenkins, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Barrie & Jenkins, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Edmund Blampied: Herbert Jenkins book jackets, Three Is A Collection (threeisacollection.org)
- P.G. Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves, First UK Edition 1923, John Atkinson Books (johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk)
- P.G. Wodehouse, Ukridge, First Edition 1924, John Atkinson Books (johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk)
- The Inimitable Jeeves, George Bayntun (georgebayntun.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 29 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.