Bankes Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Bankes is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived close to a slope, or a hillside. The surname is derived from the Old English word banke.

Bankes Early Origins

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The surname Bankes was first found in various counties and shires throughout Britain. One of the first on record was Simon Bankes of Bank Newton in Craven, Yorkshire c. 1200. Walter del Banck was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1297 and Metthew Banke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Nicholas del Bancke; Adam del Bank; and Magota de Bancke. One branch of the family was found at Winstanley in Lancashire from early times. "In the reign of James I., the manor belonged to James Bancks, a descendant of the Bankes, of BankNewton, in Craven; in whose family the property continued until about 1731, when, by marriage with the heiress of William Bankes, it passed to the family of Holme, who eventually changed their name to Bankes. Winstanley Hall, existing in the 16th century, is the seat of the Bankes family, and stands in a spacious and delightful park: it has been lately re-edified and improved."

Bankes Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Bankes has been spelled many different ways, including Banke, Banck, Bancks, Banckes, Banks, Bankes and others.

Bankes Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bankes research. Another 325 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1600, 1743, 1820, 1768, 1973, 1784, 1589, 1644, 1627, 1699, 1668, 1659, 1696, 1631 and 1677 are included under the topic Early Bankes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bankes Early Notables (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society; William Bankes, High Sheriff of Lancaster, 1784; Sir John Bankes (1589-1644), Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas to Charles I, who held a family seat at Corfe Castle in Dorset; Sir John Banks, 1st Baronet...

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bankes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Bankess to arrive in North America:

Bankes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Bankes who settled in Virginia in 1635
Eliza Bankes, who arrived in Virginia in 1650
Dorothy Bankes, who arrived in Virginia in 1663
Richard Bankes, who landed in New England in 1673
Robert Bankes, who landed in Maryland in 1673
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bankes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Francis Bankes, who arrived in Virginia in 1700
Edward Bankes, who landed in Virginia in 1700
Sarah Bankes, who landed in Virginia in 1701
William Bankes, who landed in America in 1760

Contemporary Notables of the name Bankes (post 1700)

Walter J. Bankes (d. 1942), American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to Ohio convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933
Lyn Bankes, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Livonia, Michigan, 2003
William John Bankes (1786-1855), English explorer and adventurer, MP for Corfe
Henry John Ralph Bankes (1902-1981), English noble who upon his death, bequeathed Kingston Lacy and Corfe Castle to the National Trust, the largest donation the trust has ever received
William George Hawtry Bankes (1836-1858), English recipient of the Victoria Cross

Bankes Family Crest Products

Citations

^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Other References

Chadwick, Nora Kershaw and J.X.W.P Corcoran. The Celts. London: Penguin, 1790. Print. (ISBN 0140212116).
Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
Ingram, Rev. James. Translator Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1823. Print.
Dunkling, Leslie. Dictionary of Surnames. Toronto: Collins, 1998. Print. (ISBN 0004720598).
Library of Congress. American and English Genealogies in the Library of Congress. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. Print.
Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard and David Faris. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 7th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0806313676).
Papworth, J.W and A.W Morant. Ordinary of British Armorials. London: T.Richards, 1874. Print.
Foster, Joseph. Dictionary of Heraldry Feudal Coats of Arms and Pedigrees. London: Bracken Books, 1989. Print. (ISBN 1-85170-309-8).
Marcharn, Frederick George. A Constitutional History of Modern England 1485 to the Present. London: Harper and Brothers, 1960. Print.
Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
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The Bankes Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Bankes Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 3 March 2016 at 13:21.