Banks

Most recently updated: 

Banks Surname Origin

Banks Lineage
John Christopher Banks 1572-1642, father of John Christopher Banks 1593-1650, father of Elizabeth Katherine Banks 1627-1686.

Elizabeth Katherine Banks > Anne Fitzhugh Isham > Elizabeth Sarah Eppes > Sarah Randolph > Sarah Barksdale > William Davis > Roxie Ann Davis > Charles Eugenius Benton > Ina Belle Benton > Thelma Irene Brown > William Harris Lawson Sr.

Banks Migration
Ashford, Kent, England > London, Greater London, England > Canterbury, Kent County, England > Henrico, Virginia

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Elizabeth Katherine Banks, Bill's 9th Great-Grandmother
1627 - 1 December 1686
b. Canterbury, Kent County, England
d. Henrico, Virginia

Randolph Family Cemetery Presque Isle
Henrico, Henrico County, Virginia

Ancestry | Find a Grave | Google 

Noteworthy

1. Direct ancestor of President Thomas Jefferson
2. Direct ancestor of Chief Justice John Marshall
3. Tags: Immigrated_to_USA

Parents: 
Christopher Banks 1593-1650
Janet Royall 1607-1627

Maternal Lineage:
Mary Angeline Burke 1550-1620, mother of Janet Royall 1607-1627, mother of Elizabeth Katherine Banks

Spouse 1: Joseph Royall 1600-1654

After Janet's death, her daughter Katherine traveled to Virginia in the early 1640s and, in 1646, married her uncle (and first cousin once removed due to complex lineage descriptions in historical records) Joseph Royall, who was about 27 years her senior. Joseph brought Katherine to Virginia aboard his ship, the Charitie. (Google AI)

Married 1645
Children: 3

1. Katherine Royall 1642-1694
2. Sarah Royall 1644-1689
3. Joseph Royall 1646-1732

Spouse 2: Henry Isham 1628-1670
Married: 1658
Children:

1. Henry Isham Jr 1657-1678
2. Mary Isham 1659-1735
3. Anne Fitzhugh Isham 1665-1718

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Christopher John Banks Jr, Bill's 10th Great-Grandfather
2 July 1596 - 21 October 1650

Some sources list his birth year as 1593, but that is two years before his parents' marriage.

b. Canterbury, Kent, England
d. Northampton Borough, Northamptonshire, England

Randolph Family Cemetery Presque Isle
Henrico, Henrico County, Virginia

Ancestry | Find a Grave | Google

Parents: 
Christopher Banks 1572-1650
Alice Fox 1571-1603

Maternal Lineage:
Margaret Gilman 1541-1617, mother of Alice Fox 1571-1603

Spouse: Janet Royall 1607-1627
Married: 1697
Children: 1

1. Elizabeth Katherine Banks 1627-1686

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Christopher John Banks Sr, Bill's 11th Great-Grandfather
4 May 1572 - 21 October 1650 (78)
b. Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale District, Buckinghamshire, England
d. Northamptonshire, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry | Find a Grave | Google

Noteworthy

1. "An influential commoner in a position with the Old London Company [aka Virginia Company of London], which financed the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia." (Google AI Query)

Parents: 
John Banks 1542-1610
Anne Walker 1545-TBD

Maternal Lineage:
Anne Walker 1545-TBD 

Spouse: Alice Foxe 1571-1603
Married: 21 October 1595 in Aylesbury
Children: 

1. Christopher John Banks Jr 1596-1650
   Some sources list his birth year as 1593, but that is two years before his parents' marriage.
2. Others TBD

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John Banks, Bill's 12th Great-Grandfather
10 October 1542 - 29 November 1610
b. Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale District, Buckinghamshire, England
d. Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale District, Buckinghamshire, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry | Find a Grave (no record) | Google

Parents: 
John Banks 1520-1560
Jane Townsend 1521-1560

Maternal Lineage:
Jane Townsend 1521-1560

Spouse: Anne Walker 1545-TBD
Married: 1570
Children: 

1. Christopher John Banks Sr 1572-1650
2. John Banks 1570-TBD
3. Anne Banks TBD
4. Mary Banks TBD
5. Jane Banks TBD
6. Margaret Banks TBD
7. Isabell Banks TBD

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Bibliography 

Ancestry ®. "Public Member Trees Database.” © 1997-2025 Ancestry®.  Ancestry.  ancestry.com/ Lawson-Robertson Family Tree. www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/10075800/family  User profile for William Harris Lawson, Jr., user Livingweb. Accessed 26 November 2025.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6537631/elizabeth_katherine-royall_isham: accessed November 26, 2025), memorial page for Elizabeth Katherine Banks Royall Isham (1627–1 Dec 1686), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6537631, citing Randolph Family Cemetery Presque Isle, Henrico, Henrico County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Scott Hayes (contributor 47380085).

---, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206949049/christopher-banks: accessed November 26, 2025), memorial page for Christopher Banks (2 Jul 1593–21 Oct 1650), Find a Grave Memorial ID 206949049; Maintained by Roese (contributor 47359710).

---, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206948873/john_christopher-banks: accessed November 26, 2025), memorial page for John Christopher Banks II (4 May 1572–21 Oct 1650), Find a Grave Memorial ID 206948873; Maintained by Roese (contributor 47359710).

Geneanet. "Public Member Database." © 1996. Geneanet. en.geneanet.org Accessed 26 November 2025.

Google. "AI Overview." Search term: "Banks Surname Origin." Google. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Banks+Surname+Origin  Accessed 8 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Elizabeth Katherine Banks 1627-1686" Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=Elizabeth+Katherine+Banks+1627-1686  Accessed 8 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Christopher John Banks 1572-1650" Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=Christopher+John+Banks+1572-1650  Accessed 8 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Christopher John Banks Jr 1593-1650" Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=Christopher+John+Banks+Jr+1593-1650  Accessed 8 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "John Banks 1542-1610" Google. https://www.google.com/search?q=John+Banks+1542-1610 Accessed 8 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "John Banks 1520-1560" Google. https://www.google.com/search?q=John+Banks+1520-1560 Accessed 10 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "relationship Janet Royall 1607-1627 and Joseph Royall 1600-1654" Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=relationship+Janet+Royall+1607-1627+and+Joseph+Royall+1600-1654  Accessed 9 December 2025.

Wikipedia Contributors. "Virginia Company of London," 28 November 2025, at 18:04 (UTC). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Company_of_London Accessed 9 December 2025.

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Miscellanea

Talking Kin™: Banks

https://www.talkingkin.com/2025/10/banks.html
© 2025 William H Lawson Jr

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