Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Banister, William
BANISTER, Sir WILLIAM (d. 1721), judge, was a student of the Middle Temple, and received the coif in 1706. For a few years he was one of the judges of South Wales, and through the friendship of Lord Chancellor Harcourt was promoted in June 1713 to be a baron of the exchequer, when he was knighted. On the accession of George I, Lord Chancellor Cowper, in his proposals for reforming the judicial staff, advised the removal of Banister as being ‘a man not at all qualified for the place’ (Campbell's Lives of the Lord Chancellors, iv. 350), and on 14 Oct. 1714 he was accordingly removed (Lord Raymond's Reports, 1261, 1318). His public career and his private life appear to have been equally devoid of general interest. Turk Dean in Gloucestershire ‘descended to him from his ancestors,’ and he possessed ‘a great estate in this and other places’ (Atkyn's Gloucestershire, 787). He died at Turk Dean on 21 Jan. 1720–1, and was buried in the parish church, where there is a memorial to him (Hist. Reg. 1721, Chron. Diary, p. 6).
[Foss's Judges of England, and works cited above.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.14
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 120 | ii | 4 | Banister, Sir William: for (fl. 1713) read (d. 1721) |
| 27 | after 787) insert He died at Turk Dean on 21 Jan. 1720-1, and was buried in the church there (Hist. Reg. 1721, Chron. Diary, p. 6). |