JQuery Mobile is optimized to work across a large amount of devices and browsers, not just within phonegap so it might be better to use different specialized frameworks for what you are doing.
Steriods recommends angular for javascript modeling and topcoat for ui enhancements.
JQuery mobile handles everything from mobile styles to page navigation and history. You could use JQuery mobile for just styling and then use steroids for navigation and page transitions.
AppGyver has switched to using Ionic for it's default framework now. Ionic is built on Angular JS but it is specifically optimized for using within PhoneGap. You can even create a phonegap project with their command line tools. They also released an awesome plugin to fix the dreaded keyboard issue on android and ios. I'm hoping to switch over from Jquery Mobile to Ionic as soon as time allows.