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From: <>
Subject: [WILBANKS-L] Wellbank and the Scottish Highlanders
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 11:19:22 EST

I was browsing the bargain books at Barnes and Noble yesterday when I came
across THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDERS AND THEIR REGIMENTS by Michael Brander. This
is a book which catalogues the history of the Scottish Highlander military
regiments from the time of the American Revolution to about 1850. I was
interested to find on page 58 a reference to two desertions from a regiment
around 1789. Brander writes: "His mortification at the disgrace attached to
the regiment from the desertion of Kelly of the 6th Company and WELLBANK of
the 2nd Company."

In our family, older folks have insisted the Wilbankses had come to America
from the Scottish Highlands. I have never been able to find any evidence to
support that. In fact, until yesterday I have never found reference to a
Scottish name (much less a highland name) remotely similar to Wilbanks.

Brander's reference does lend support to the possibility of a Scottish origin
for the Wilbankses in America.

Charles Wilbanks

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