Bankson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bankson

What does the name Bankson mean?

The name Bankson is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived close to a slope, or a hillside. The surname is derived from the Old English word banke. 1

Early Origins of the Bankson family

The surname Bankson 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. 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Nicholas del Bancke; Adam del Bank; and Magota de Bancke. 2

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 Bank Newton, 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." 3

The Bankes family were prominent landed gentry in Dorset, England for over 400 years. They originally held Corfe Castle, but it was destroyed during the civil war. Sir John Bankes (1589-1644), Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas to Charles I., was the progenitor.

Early History of the Bankson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bankson research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1410, 1560, 1580, 1586, 1588, 1589, 1590, 1598, 1600, 1606, 1627, 1631, 1637, 1644, 1659, 1668, 1677, 1696, 1699, 1743, 1768, 1784, 1820 and 1973 are included under the topic Early Bankson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bankson Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bankson are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Bankson include: Banke, Banck, Bancks, Banckes, Banks, Bankes and others.

Early Notables of the Bankson family

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 FRS (1627-1699), an English merchant and politician, one of the wealthiest merchants in London, Fellow of the Royal Society in 1668; and his son, Caleb Banks (1659-1696), an English politician; and Sir Ralph Bankes (1631-1677), MP for Corfe, responsible for the building of the new family seat at Kingston Lacy.Richard Banke...
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bankson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bankson migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bankson or a variant listed above:

Bankson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Anders Bankson, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1627 4

Bankson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Benjamin Bankson, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Bankson (post 1700) +

Bankson T. Morgan, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 7th District, 1888 5
Bankson Taylor Holcomb (1879-1945), American politician, Delegate to Delaware convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 6

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.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html