i)Occup. Abalister, (becoming banisters, literally balusters, staircase, railings), an arbalester, a crossbowman. Old French baleslier. v. Alabaster. The name in various forms is found in every early list It is sufficient to turn to the London Directory to see by the number of Bannisters the commonness of the occupation.

'Gosners, balesters, and archers': Caxton, 1489 (quoted in H.E.D).

1557. Buried — John Corker, bailister, Ulverston (Ulverston Church).

Probably this is an instance of the curious Elizabethan custom of appending the old feminine -sler to names of masculine occupation. John Corker was, I suspect, the bailie or bailiff of the town. But he may have been a cross-bowman.

(a) Local.

Adam de Banistre, temp. 1320: Baines' Lancashire.

This is the only entry with de I can find. The Testa de Neville, Hundred Rolls, and Placita de Quo Warranto have many instances, but all without prefix. It is clear however that (1) is not the only origin, judging by the character of these entries.

John Balistar, Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Wyot Balistarius. Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum in Turri Londinesi.

Renaud Balistarius. Calendarium Rotulorum Patentium in Turri Londinensi.

Henry Balistar, Oxfordshire, Henry III— Edw I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Robert Balistarius, Yorkshire, ibid.

Agnes Banastre, Salop, 1273. Hundred Rolls.Stolen from Fore-bears

Henry Banastre, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Thomas Banastie, Lancashire 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

John Banastre, Berkshire, Henry III— Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Johannes Banastre, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

1674. Baptised — Anne, d. Thomas Balisster: St. James, Clerkenwell.

The surname is found all over the kingdom in large numbers. It is quite possible that some of these entries represent a personal name now forgotten.

Banastre occurs in Holinshed's Roll of Battel Abbey. Camden derives it from balneator, the keeper of a bath. 2. A term used in the parish accounts of Chudleigh, co. Devon, and supposed to mean a traveller in distress.

The keeper of a bath; from the French bain, a bath.

Perhaps originally Bainster, one who kept a bath; from Old English and Old French bain, a bath.

From Banastre, now Beneter, near Estampes. Warin Banastre was Baron of Newton, Lancashire, t. William I. (Baines, Lancashire, i. 115). Alard and John B. possessed lands, Berks, t. Henry I. (Liber Niger). The lands of Ralph B. were confirmed to the Church of Bayeux, 1144, by Eugenius III. (Monasticon Anglicanum); Adam B. was Viscount of Berks, 1169; Alard, 1173; Thomas, 1204. Robert B. held one fee in capite in Lancaster, 13th cent. (Testa de Neville). From him descend the Banastres of Bank. See also Nelson, Maudsley.

In the reign of Edward VI. the Bannisters or Banisters held an estate in Beeding, West Sussex (D.). Thomas de Banastre, apparently a Sussex man, distinguished himself in a naval fight off Winchelsea in 1350 (C.). The name is far more characteristic of Lancashire.