Robert Jenkins (master mariner)

Robert Jenkins (master mariner) was a British master mariner best known for the "Jenkins' Ear" incident in 1731, which is widely regarded as a catalyst for the War of Jenkins' Ear between Great Britain and Spain.

Jenkins was captain of the British brig Rebecca when it was intercepted by the Spanish Guarda Costa ship La Isabela, commanded by Lieutenant Julio León Fandiño, off the coast of Florida in April 1731. Fandiño accused Jenkins of illicit trading with Spanish colonies, a common practice in the Caribbean at the time. During the boarding and search of the Rebecca, Fandiño allegedly cut off Jenkins' ear, supposedly telling him to "Go, and tell your King that I will do the same to him, if he dares to do the same".

While the precise details of the incident remain debated among historians, the alleged mutilation of Jenkins was used as propaganda by the British opposition to Prime Minister Robert Walpole. They presented Jenkins and his severed ear (which he reportedly kept preserved in a jar) to Parliament in 1738, stirring public outrage against Spain. This public pressure, combined with other colonial disputes and trade grievances, ultimately led to Britain declaring war on Spain in 1739, initiating the War of Jenkins' Ear.

Little is reliably known about Jenkins' life before or after the incident. While the incident cemented his place in history, he remained a relatively obscure figure. The notoriety he gained was primarily due to the political exploitation of the events surrounding the loss of his ear.