BANISTER OF
MIDGLEY
Martha
Banister, wife of Bryan Cunningham, would have been only fifteen years old when
married if she was baptised soon after birth. However, her connections are well
documented by the wills of her father Henry Banister and her sister Priscilla
Banister. The latter names not only her three surviving sisters and their
husbands, but several aunts and uncles. Priscilla was unusually young when her
will was made but her identity is confirmed both by the information in the will
itself, and by a note at the end of the registered copy from John Favour, vicar
of Halifax, confirming that Priscilla, daughter of Henry Banister of Midgley,
was baptised on 12 January 1594.
Additional
evidence of the origin of Martha Banister is in the York cause papers, where it
is noted that she was taken to be married to Bryan Cunningham without the
consent of her grandfather Richard Smith.[1]
The
will of Edward Banister of Yatehouse, Midgley,
written in 1587, confirms that he was the father of Henry Banister. The baptism
entries for Edward’s children show that he resided in Sowerby before living in
Midgley. Edward appears to have been a son of John Banister of Hathershelf in Sowerby. Entries in the Wakefield manor
court rolls in 1538 relating to property including Hathershelf
mention John Banister, his wife Margaret, and children of John named George,
Robert, Henry and Joan.[2]
The 1572 will of George Banister of Hathershelf
mentions, among others, his brothers Henry Banister and Edward Banister.[3]
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BANISTER
1 JOHN BANISTER of Hathershelf,
Sowerby, Yorkshire, died ca 1538 at Halifax.[4]
He married MARGARET, who was buried on 26 October 1565 at Halifax.[5]
Children of John Banister:[6]
i ROBERT BANISTER.
ii GEORGE BANISTER of Sowerby, bur 13
Aug 1572, Halifax;[7] m
MARGARET.[8]
iii HENRY BANISTER of Sowerby; m 12 Oct
1551, Halifax, ALICE WOOD.[9]
2 iv
EDWARD BANISTER (bur 1587).
v JOAN BANISTER.
2
EDWARD BANISTER of Sowerby and of
Yatehouse, Midgley, was buried on 5 November 1587 at
Halifax.[10]
He married , who was buried on 3 July 1578 at
Halifax.[11]
Children of Edward Banister:
i MARGARET
BANISTER, bap 7 Feb 1542/43, Halifax;[12]
m 17 Jul 1570, Halifax, WILLIAM MITCHELL.[13]
3 ii HENRY
BANISTER (bur 1598/99); m RUTH SMITH.
iii GEORGE BANISTER of Hebden Bridge,
bur 5 Nov 1595, Heptonstall;[14]
m 8 Dec 1572, Halifax, MARGARET CROWTHER.[15]
iv AGNES BANISTER, bap 18 Oct 1553,
Halifax;[16] m
2 May 1586, Halifax, JOHN NORTHEND.[17]
v SUSAN BANISTER, bap 10 Oct 1556,
Halifax,[18]
bur 14 Oct 1614, Bradford;[19]
m 11 Dec 1581, Halifax, JOHN DRAKE.[20]
vi ESTHER BANISTER, bap 29 Sep 1560,
Halifax,[21]
bur 24 Jan 1560/61, Halifax.[22]
vii RICHARD BANISTER, bap 28 Jun 1562,
Halifax,[23]
bur 27 Jul 1562, Halifax.[24]
3 HENRY BANISTER of Yatehouse,
Midgley, yeoman, was buried on 26 January 1598/99 at Halifax.[25]
He married on 26 October 1584 at Halifax, RUTH SMITH,[26]
daughter of Richard Smith (see here). Ruth was
baptised on 26 October 1561 at Halifax and buried on 18 October 1596 at
Halifax.
Children of Henry and Ruth (Smith)
Banister:
i MARTHA
BANISTER, bap 3 Jul 1586, Halifax,[27]
bur 18 Jan 1639/40, St Peter, Leeds;[28]
m 1 Feb 1601/02, Monk Fryston, BRYAN CUNNINGHAM[29]
(see here).
ii JUDITH BANISTER, bap 1 Dec 1588,
Halifax,[30]
bur 16 May 1623, Halifax;[31]
m 3 Jun 1605, Halifax, WILLIAM COWPER.[32]
iii RUTH BANISTER, bap Oct 1590,
Halifax,[33]
bur 8 Nov 1596, Halifax.[34]
iv SUSAN BANISTER, bap 5 Nov 1592,
Halifax;[35] m
Dec 1607, Clitheroe, ALEXANDER ASPINALL.[36]
v PRISCILLA BANISTER, bap 12 Jan
1594/95, Halifax,[37]
bur 16 Jun 1608, Bradford.[38]
[2] Ann Weikel, ed., The Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1537 to 1539 (Leeds, 1993), 58-59.
[3] Will dated 23 Jun 1572, proved 2 Oct 1572 (Borthwick Institute).
[4] National Archives, C 1/1034/41-45; J.W. Clay and E.W. Crossley, eds, Halifax Wills (Halifax, 1904), 187. The will of Thomas Crabtree of Heptonstall, dated 1514, mentions the testator’s daughter Joan, wife of John Banaster, and the latter’s daughter Agnes, but it is not clear whether this was John Banister of Hathershelf: J.W. Clay and E.W. Crossley, eds, Halifax Wills (Halifax, 1904), 39-40.
[5] J.W. Clay and E.W. Crossley, eds, Halifax Wills (Halifax, 1904), 187; Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[6] Ann Weikel, ed., The Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1537 to 1539 (Leeds, 1993), 58-59; will of George Banister, dated 23 Jun 1572, proved 2 Oct 1572 (Borthwick Institute). See also H.P. Kendall, “Hathershelf, Sowerby”, Transactions of the Halifax Antiquarian Society, 11(1914):135-56.
[7] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); will dated 23 Jun 1572, proved 2 Oct 1572 (Borthwick Institute).
[8] The will of George Banister names his wife Margaret. George’s brother-in-law Henry Cowcrofte or Colcrofte is also mentioned, so Margaret may have been a Cowcroft.
[9] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[10] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); will dated 2 Nov 1587, proved 15 Dec 1587 (Borthwick Institute).
[11] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com): “Ux Edward Banyster de sourbie”.
[12] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[13] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[14] Heptonstall parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); will dated 19 Aug 1588, proved 29 Jan 1595/96 (Borthwick Institute).
[15] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com). The will of George Banister mentions his brother-in-law John Crowther.
[16] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[17] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[18] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[19] Bradford parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); will dated 1 Oct 1614, proved 4 Jan 1614/15 (Borthwick Institute).
[20] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[21] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[22] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[23] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[24] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[25] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); will dated 24 Sep 1598, proved 13 Mar 1598/99 (Borthwick Institute).
[26] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com). The entry says “Henry Banyster et Ruthe Smyth sepult” (buried) but it is on a page otherwise dedicated to marriages and it is well documented that Henry Banister married a daughter of Richard Smith, the latter being named, for example, in Henry’s will as the testator’s father-in-law.
[27] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[28] St Peter, Leeds, parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); will dated 16 Dec 1639, proved Apr 1640 (Borthwick institute).
[29] Monk Fryston parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[30] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[31] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); W. Paley Baildon, Baildon and the Baildons, 3 vols (Bradford and London, 1912-27), 2:260.
[32] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[33] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[34] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[35] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[36] Clitheroe bishop’s transcripts (online at www.ancestry.com).
[37] Halifax parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[38] Bradford parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); will dated 19 Apr 1608, proved 20 Jun 1608 (Borthwick Institute).