Bannister
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Bannister Genealogy
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The Origin/Spread of Surnames
The word Bannister as a stair rail
did not appear in the English
language until the 17th century. The Bannister surname instead
is thought to have come from the French banastres,
meaning a basket weaver. Another view is that it
comes from balneator, the
master of the bath. In either case, there appears to be a Norman
imprint to the name.
Banastre appeared in 12th century Cheshire records where Richard Banastre was named as one of the barons of Chester. However, the main concentration of this name has been in Lancashire.
The name first appears here near present-day Wigan. Sir Adam Banastre was a landowner in the parish of Standish who led a local uprising, known as Banastre's rebellion, in 1315. It failed and Sir Adam lost his head. Bannisters were then to be found in the dales of East Lancashire, in Altham (where they owned the manor) and in Barnoldswick.
A Bannister family had settled at Park Hill in Pendle in the 1400's. Nicholas Bannister was the magistrate who interrogated the so-called Pendle witches in the famous trial of 1612; and it was John Bannister who helped quell the Pendle forest riots of 1748. Their farmhouse now forms the headquarters of the Heritage Trust in the northwest. This family produced Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four minute mile record. They had been in the textile business, first in wool and then in cotton, and now run the country house Coniston Hotel in the Yorkshire dales.
The Bannister name also crops up in nearby mill towns such as Colne, Burnley, Rochdale, and Chorley. Billy Bannister, a footballer from Burnley, was good enough to play for England at the turn of the century. John Bannister was the late Victorian historian of Chorley.
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Sir Adam Banastre was the Lancashire landowner who led Banastre's rebellion (with unfortunate results) in 1315.
Charles Bannister was a well-known actor and singer on the London stage in the 18th century.
Roger Bannister was the first man to break the four minute mile record in 1953.
Jo Bannister the novelist was born in Rochdale, Lancashire.
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Bannister Resources on
The
Internet
- Norman Lineages. Banastres.
- Pendle Heritage Center. Pendle and the Bannisters.
- Bannisters and Kin. Bannisters in Canada.
Banastre appeared in 12th century Cheshire records where Richard Banastre was named as one of the barons of Chester. However, the main concentration of this name has been in Lancashire.
The name first appears here near present-day Wigan. Sir Adam Banastre was a landowner in the parish of Standish who led a local uprising, known as Banastre's rebellion, in 1315. It failed and Sir Adam lost his head. Bannisters were then to be found in the dales of East Lancashire, in Altham (where they owned the manor) and in Barnoldswick.
A Bannister family had settled at Park Hill in Pendle in the 1400's. Nicholas Bannister was the magistrate who interrogated the so-called Pendle witches in the famous trial of 1612; and it was John Bannister who helped quell the Pendle forest riots of 1748. Their farmhouse now forms the headquarters of the Heritage Trust in the northwest. This family produced Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four minute mile record. They had been in the textile business, first in wool and then in cotton, and now run the country house Coniston Hotel in the Yorkshire dales.
The Bannister name also crops up in nearby mill towns such as Colne, Burnley, Rochdale, and Chorley. Billy Bannister, a footballer from Burnley, was good enough to play for England at the turn of the century. John Bannister was the late Victorian historian of Chorley.
Select Bannister Miscellany
If you would like to read more, click on the miscellany page for
further stories and accounts:
Select Bannister Names
Sir Adam Banastre was the Lancashire landowner who led Banastre's rebellion (with unfortunate results) in 1315.
Charles Bannister was a well-known actor and singer on the London stage in the 18th century.
Roger Bannister was the first man to break the four minute mile record in 1953.
Jo Bannister the novelist was born in Rochdale, Lancashire.
Select Bannisters Today
Select Index of Names
The Origin/Spread of Surnames