BANKES, Henry (1700-76), of Broad Chalk, Salisbury, Wilts.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, ed. R. Sedgwick, 1970
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1741 - Nov. 1762

Family and Education

bap. 2 Nov. 1700, 2nd s. of John Bankes, M.P., of Kingston Lacy and Corfe Castle, Dorset by Margaret, da. of Sir Henry Parker, 2nd Bt., M.P., of Honington, Warws.; yr. bro. of John Bankes. educ. Eton 1715-20; King’s, Camb. 1720, fellow 1723-9; L. Inn 1720, called 1726. m. (1) Eleanor, da. of Richard Symonds of London, s.p.; (2) 11 June 1753, Margaret, da. of John Wynne, bp. of Bath and Wells, sis. and coh. of Sir W. Wynne, judge of the P.C.C., 2s. 1da. suc. bro. to Kingston Lacy estates 1772.

Offices Held

K.C. to duchy of Lancaster 1738-61; dep. c.j. of S. Wales 1745-9; K.C. 1747; commr. of customs 1762-d.

Biography

Henry Bankes, a practising Tory lawyer, succeeded his brother in the family seat at Corfe Castle in 1741, voting against the Government in all recorded divisions of that Parliament. His only known speeches were against the Hanoverians, December 1743, and against the further employment of British troops in Flanders, January 1744. However, in 1747 he was made K.C. on Lord Gower’s recommendation to Pelham1 and was classed as ‘for’ in the returns for that year. Two years later he resigned his post on the South Wales circuit as deputy to John Trevor on the ground that he had ‘but little prospect of becoming the principal’.2 On 18 May 1750, when he was being considered for the Exchequer, Lord Hardwicke described him to Newcastle as ‘Tory, and acted as such till he was, not very long ago, made K.C.’ In the same connexion, Pelham wrote to Newcastle (25 May) that ‘Mr. Bankes has acted thoroughly with us since he came over, but he is a convert’.3 In 1762 he surrendered his seat to the Administration in return for a place. He died 23 Sept. 1776.

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: R. S. Lea

Notes

  • 1. Hardwicke to Newcastle, 18 May 1750, Add. 32720, f. 355.
  • 2. Bankes to Hardwicke, 26 Feb. 1749, Add. 35590, f. 257.
  • 3. Add. 32720, ff. 355, 392.