bannistersandkin
Welcome to:

Bannisters and kin

 

These ancestral files are not intended to be a complete record of any surname listed here.

When this web site was published many years ago, a “circle” of interconnected families began to emerge as “kin” to my direct lineage. I tried to limit the files to those that showed a descendancy down to myself and my wife.

The response from others searching for roots and branches of the same family trees soon caused that “circle” to grow. The “kin” far outnumber the Bannisters.

The cousins and kin that have contacted me range from East to West in Canada, USA, The British Isles, and Australia. I have tried to include all the information that was sent to me in these pages.

Many have helped correct dates and other errors that have been difficult to verify. As a result, this has not been strictly a labor of my own, but one of a constantly growing family of “genealogy detectives” that are trying to trace their lineage. I want to thank hem all for their support over the years.

This site owned and maintained by Russ Bannister.

Updated- June 20, 2025

...GRANDPA AND THE FAMILY TREE…
There’s been a change in Grandpa…we’ve noticed it of late
He’s always reading history or jotting down some date
He’s tracking back his family…you’ll all have pedigrees!
Oh, Grandpa’s got a hobby...He’s climbing Family Trees
 
He goes down  to the  Court House  and studies  ancient lore
We know more about our forebearers than we ever knew before
The books are old and dusty…and that makes Grandpa sneeze
A minor irritation when your…Climbing Family Trees
 
Now some folks came from Scotland…some from Galway Bay
Some were French as pastry…some German all the way
Some went West to stake their claims…some stayed by the sea
Grandpa hopes to find them all as he climbs…The Family Tree
 
He wonders thru the graveyards in search of date and time
The rich, the poor, the in-between…all sleeping there sublime
He pauses now and then to rest…fanned by a gentle breeze
That blows above the Fathers of all…Our Family Trees
 
They are Pioneers and Patriots…mixed in our Kith and Kin
Who blazed the paths thru wilderness, fought thru thick and thin
None more staunch than Grandpa, who’s eyes light up with glee
Each time he finds a missing branch for…The Family Tree
 
Their skills were wide and varied…from carpenter to cook
And one…alas! the records show was hopelessly a crook
Blacksmith, weaver, farmer, judge…some tutored for a fee
Once lost in time, now all recorded on…The Family Tree
 
To some it’s just a hobby…to Grandpa it’s much more
He learns the joys and heartaches of those that went before
They  loved, they laughed, they wept…and now for you and me
They live again in spirit, around…The Family Tree
 
At last! he’s finally finished and we are all exposed!
Life will be the same again…this we all supposed
Grandpa now will shovel and mow…and sit with us at tea
He’ll be the same as he was before that wretched…FamilyTree
 
Sad to relate…the preacher came and visited for a spell
We talked about the gospel…other things as well
The heathen folk, the poor…and then…t’was fate it had to be
The conversation turned to Grandpa and…The Family Tree
 
He never knew his Grandpa…his mother’s name…was it Clark?
He and Grandpa talked and talked…outside it grew dark
We’d hoped our fears were groundless…but just like some disease
Grandpa’s become an addict!  He’s hooked on …Family Trees
 
Our souls are filled with sorrow…our hearts sad with dismay
Our ears could scarce believe the words, we heard Grandpa say
“It sure is a lucky thing that you have come to me
I know exactly what to do…I’ll climb your Famliy Tree!