WILBANKS-WILLBANKS FAMILY NEWSLETTER
| Wil(l)banks Trees was a bi-monthly publication with a wealth of genealogical information, sources, records, biographies, genealogies, discussions, etc., regarding the various families of Wilbanks and Willbanks in all parts of the United States from the Colonial period to the present.
Publication began in January 1989 and ended in December 2000, thus existing as a publication for 12 full and consecutive years. There were six issues in each year/volume and each issue was $5.00, thus coming to a one year subscription of $30.00. Copies of any issue are still available at the following cost:
There is no tax, and postage is included. Please make checks payable to Robert M. Wilbanks IV, and send to the address found at the bottom of this or any page on this web site. For a listing of the Contents of every issue, please click on the link below. Decide which issue(s) will be of interest to you and make note of the Month-Month Year, Volume, and Number. Please clearly identify these desired issues when you send the appropriate payment. Wil(l)banks Trees Contents 1989, Volume 1 to 2000, Volume 12 |
| Is the Wil(l)banks name dying? It could be. My research is finding that the name of Wilbanks and Willbanks is becoming less common with each new generation. After the Civil War, there were thousands of Wil(l)banks families from South Carolina to Texas. Now there are barely hundreds. In my own branch of the family, my brother and I are the last of the Wilbanks family. I have no first, second or third cousins with the last name of Wilbanks. It was at the age of 32 that for the first time in my life I had met one other person with the name Wil(l)banks. All the Wilbanks/Willbanks today in the United States are related; being descended from one of 6 soldiers, a combination of brothers and cousins, of the American Revolution.
The first Wil(l)banks came to the New World (Virginia), as Walbancke, in the 1660's. They eventually migrated down to North Carolina, and by the time of the American Revolution, there were several Woolbanks families in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. At least 500 Wilbanks/Willbanks men fought in the Civil War; most fighting for the South. Despite the great part that our family played in the American experience, the name has now become very rare; except for in a few communities in the Deep South. So I am trying to preserve our family's heritage. I began researching my family history in 1977, when I was 13 years of age, and I have been continuing this research ever since. After graduating from Arizona State University with a B.A. in History, I attempted to establish a career as a professional genealogist. That effort did not work out for me, so I no longer pursue genealogy professionally. In fact, I haven't done genealogy for nearly two years now. It has been on a complete and total hold for quite some time. I am only now very slowly attempting to do only a little on the side. In 1989 I began a Wil(l)banks family records and research newsletter entitled Wil(l)banks Trees, which was discontinued at the end of the year 2000. Each issue has, on average, 20 pages packed with records, genealogies, biographies, etc. Please visit the Wil(l)banks Newsletter portion of this web site to learn more about the newsletter, including availability and cost. Also, through that web page you can view the contents of every issue and determine any issues that you may wish to obtain. The idea of the newsletter was to keep everyone informed on the continuing research efforts of the Wil(l)banks family history, as well as sharing information and connecting and keeping in touch with distant and long lost Wil(l)banks cousins. While I may no longer be considered the leading authority in the U.S. on the Wil(l)banks family, I definitely have a wealth of knowledge, material and insight. Eventually everyone comes to me for help on their branch of the Wil(l)banks family. I'm sure I can help you with your branch. If you e-mail me your name and mailing address, and a brief outline of your Wil(l)banks lineage, providing me with names, dates and places of your Wil(l)banks ancestors, I can then look over my files and try to determine what branch of the Wil(l)banks family that you may descend from. Through the mail I will send you whatever I find, plus a free copy of the last issue of the Wil(l)banks Trees newsletter. (Please read my general message to visitors to my web site from my home page for important information relevant to sending me e-mails.) As I mentioned, I have been out of touch with my Wil(l)banks research for a number of years. If I am able to help you and send you pertinent information directly related to your specific Wil(l)banks branch, please note that what I send is all that I have at this time; or at least all that I have organized and accessible. It is possible that I may have more information, but having been out of touch with my research for several years I haven't been able to organize a lot of my correspondence and personal research findings and information, and incorporate it into my more easily accessible files. I'm afraid that I don't expect to be able to get more organized for a couple of years. So please be patient. Meanwhile, if you note any errors or missing information in what I send you, I hope that you will help me out and send me information so that I may fill the gaps. In this way, I may be better able to help you down the road, or at least help other Wil(l)banks researchers. Also, my eventual goal is to publish an extensive history of the Wilbanks-Willbanks family in America, so any information that you can send me could be helpful in that regard as well (though right now that is an extremely far off dream). It is my hope that you will be very interested and enjoy what I send you. As you can see, I am more than willing to help and to share my Wil(l)banks research, and other materials, with other Wil(l)banks kinsman who are interested in the history of this family. But please understand that I do this at great personal expense of printing and mailing. If you find anything that I send of interest and value, and if you are able, I would appreciate if you would consider helping to pay for a portion of the cost. Any amount that you feel is reasonable will be greatly appreciated. Often people ask how much to send. If it isn't too much to ask, I hope that $10.00 to $15.00 would be a reasonable and helpful minimum. There is no obligation. As an FYI, you may be interested in a copy of Wilbanks-Willbanks In America compiled by Mrs. Eileen Sheffield in 1968. I have a number of copies available which I can provide to you for $17.00 plus $3.00 for shipping and handling. Be sure to pass this and any other Wil(l)banks information on to other members of your family, and especially to those who you feel would be most interested in it. I look forward to hearing from you, and to continued correspondence regarding the Wil(l)banks family. Most Sincerely, Your Cousin, Robert M. Wilbanks IV |
