Provost Shanks of Denny

[andrew shanks]

Hello Shautzy,

The name Shanks has existed in Scotland and also in Ireland for a very long time, so I can only assume that this was some attempt at anglicizing the name of your family to get away from anti-German feelings - presumably during wartime? 

 

[Shautzy]

Thank you for your response.  I don't think it was an attempt of anglicizing my family name but anything is possible.  The information I have goes back to the time of
George IV and the surnames of Kirkwood and Johnston are also listed.  With these names are land areas in Mid Lothian Scotland and farms: Balvormie, Glandersland and Muiravonside. I think this goes back to my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandparents time. (I could be missing or adding a Great)

As it has turned out these are the ancestors on my Mother's side (often forgotten in our historical Patriarchy Society) and the information is lacking. Sadly to say Mom hs passed away and was an only child whose parents Immigrated to Canada in 1919.

If you have any information that may help I would appreciate it.

Regards
Shautzy

[andrew shanks]

Hello Shautzy,

I am not aware of a farm named Muiravonside, although the parish of that name exists within Stirlingshire.

Balvormie is in West Lothian and I do not have a record of any Shanks families living at the farm - of course, that does not mean that there weren't any, just that I have no information to suggest that there were.

I have a note that a Thomas Shanks was born at Glandersland, Muiravonside in 1885.  He was the son of William Shanks and Margaret Shields - presumably, this is your family?

Bye for now

 

[sirving]

Hi all

I have many Shanks' in my ancestry and have been contacted by folk all over through Ancestry, Genforum and Genes Reunited, but never logged into Rootschat until now!
I've got  info. on many of the people mentioned in this thread and also a few photos.
I have a good Shanks Line document passed on to me by someone in West Canada and it has loads of info.

The farm was called Gillandersland.

I recently met up with the ex-provost of Linlithgow Jim Shanks as I have been working there and learnt a lot of good family info.

Not sure how to pass all of this on but please feel free to ask me questions and i'll see if I can help.

[Euan]

Hi, i am new to Rootschat, and came across this post when i was looking for info on Balvormie Farm. My family farmed Balvormie for some years until we emigrated to Australia in 1961. Thomas Shanks did indeed live at Balvormie until his death, as i was living with my Father and Mother at Balvormie at the same time. My mothers maiden name was Wilson and her middle name was Shanks. I do have some details for the family tree if i can find it so feel free to email me if you are interested.

Euan..
 

[Skoosh]

Folks, "Black's Surnames" gives the origin as from Shank of that Ilk, an ancient family in Midlothian. A Murdoch Shank had a charter from Robert the Bruce in 1319. So a very old name.

[UNDERTAKER]

coonwara, think might have this family in mine. are you on Genes Reunited as someone i am linked to on there may have more information on this side of the family.


T.

[UNDERTAKER]

i have gillespies,grant,bain family from denny in my family tree.
I have someone who has contacted me on Genes Reunited which i unfortunately have not been on for some time who has connected the family to the shanks family as he is a shanks family member himself.
If i can help will do. latest i got to on the gillespie family was about June 1847. Bain family is further back than that as my mother did a professional search with a researcher some time back.
do you know of any links with the loney family.?

T.

[Forfarian]

The origin of Shanks from my mother's information is German - Baron Von Schink. The name was changed to Shanks.

Not according to G F Black's The Surnames of Scotland. He says that Shank of that Ilk is an ancient family in Midlothian, deriving their name from lands so named there. Murdoch Shank, son of Shank of that Ilk, got a charter from Robert the Bruce in 1319.

So you can be fairly sure that at least some, and I think probably the majority, of the Shank(s) in Scotland are of the home-grown variety!

Wonder where your mother's information came from?

There is a German noble family by the name of von Schenk (107,000 hits in a well-known search engine) and there are also references to von Schink (25,200 hits) so it is entirely possible that in addition to the Midlothian origin there are some families of Shank(s) descended from one of these.