Alexander Crombie Banks was born on 21 October 1891 to James Simpson Banks and Jane Neil Lockhart in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He was the 10th out of a total of 12 children born to this couple during their marriage. Alexander grew up in Coupar Angus, which stretches over two counties, Angus and Perthshire.
The 1901 Scotland Census shows him listed with his family and that his father was a plasterer, a trade he held all his life. In fact, his father was working as a plasterer when he died in January, 1916 and was not there when Alexander married later that year.
By the 1911 Scotland Census, Alexander is an apprentice painter and this is the trade he kept throughout his whole life, a trade that he passed on to one of his sons. The rest of his family is on the previous page of the 1911 census.
In 1916, he married Mary Isabella McEwen and together they had 2 children, William and James. In 1925, Alexander, sailed with his family to New South Wales, Australia where they settled in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney and raised his family. Today Parramatta is a major city with many activities for all ages.
Alexander never forgot his Scottish roots as they belonged to the Sydney Highland Society and heavily participated in all their events. I had the pleasure of meeting him in 1976 and thoroughly enjoyed listening to his stories of Scotland.
When our children were little, he would sit them on his lap and sing Scottish songs to them, it was always a treat . He loved all the grandchildren very much.
Age has a way of catching up with people and he passed away on August 24, 1979, just a few months before another little one arrived. He was an amazing man, father and grandfather who always helped others whenever there was a need.
When researching in Scotland and having visited there two times now, I always think of him and the wonderful Scottish legacy he has left in his descendants.
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