Notes (continued from Previous Page):
It is possible that the sketch in this "Sacramento Valley book" owes its origins to a reading of Miss Jane Pritchett Banks's book. However, there are enough differences that this does not seem likely. The "Sacramento Valley book" describes the further descent from John Banks to Oliver H. P. Banks to James Oliver Banks. From other records we know that this is one of the lines of descent from Adam Bankes. John Banks is one generation further back than the point at which Jane Banks begins her family listing, and she is not descended from John. Jane is aware of the existence of this California family described in the "Sacramento Valley book," but the allusions are so second-hand that it is obvious that she had not been in contact with them in 1908 and did not understand the exact relationship.
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Another source for a tradition of multiple Banks brothers migrating to the U.S. is Mrs. (Mary) Frances Banks Storey's 1984 book, Grandpap's Family: A Banks Family Genealogy. Mrs. Storey's account of the Banks origins relies heavily on her Banks grandfather's oral descriptions, supplemented by confirmations from other family members. Unfortunately, part of the information has been lost due to the fact none of it was originally written down.
"...a story of five Banks brothers who came from England to Virginia in the 1600s. They came one at a time on different ships so that if one ship sank, all would not be lost and some left to carry on the name.....Two of these brothers were said to have died on their way over, leaving three....My memory seems to recall that they were the sons of James or John Banks, a merchant of London."
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Mrs. Storey feels the five Bankses listed for 1635 emigrations in Hotten's Lists of Emigrants to America, 1600-1700, seem to fit the pattern of emigration listed by her grandfather: William, age 21, bound for Barbados and St. Christopher; Edward, age 35, bound for Barbados; James age 30 or 35, depending on which of two James who sailed that year, both bound for Virginia; Henry, age 19, bound for Virginia. This researcher [RHB] has not been able to find any parish records that would confirm sibling relationships of these men. Mrs. Storey seemed less committed to these specific men being the only possible solution to her emigration tradition, based on correspondence to me. Several of these emigrants do not currently have any parish register entries that could even weakly confirm their identities.
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In mid 1993, Frances rediscovered an entry in the back of the book The Genealogical Record of the Banks Family of Elbert County, Georgia, Collected by the Late Elbert Augustine Banks, M.D. "Among the valuable heirlooms owned by Mrs. Mattie Banks Telford, daughter of Joseph H. Banks and granddaughter of Dr. Richard Banks, is a book bearing date of 1602, on the fly leaf of which in beautifully written characters, is the name 'James Banks.' This book was given by Rachel, wife of Ralph Banks, to their son. 'Lemuel' " This family was probably descended from William Bankes of King & Queen Co., but documentation that their ancestor Thomas was a son of William relies solely on the use of the name Ralph in later generations. A Ralph Banks was William's eldest son.
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An enormous amount of time has been consumed checking out every suspicious Banks name in British records trying to prove the ancestry of Adam -- without success. The names Adam and Gerrard [names of Adam and his son] occur in Wigan in Lancashire, but the Adams and Gerrards there seem to be accounted for. The simultaneous use of these names in Virginia may be coincidental. A Robert Massey interacted with the Wigan Bankses, and the name shows up in Adam Bankes documents in Virginia (see below). A detailed discussion of the exhaustive search for Adam's ancestry is found in my booklet Early Bankes Families of Virginia and Maryland in the 1600s, which has been microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and can be ordered on loan at any LDS family history center. Postage costs will be charged.
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Adam may have been born in the American colonies or in the British Isles.
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