Christopher, Johann Jacob Bankert's middle son, is listed in the 1790 and 1800 Federal censuses of Frederick County, Maryland, as "Christopher Bankard."  Land records indicate that he sold the property he inherited from his father in 1803/1804.  He then disappears from all Maryland records.

Beginning in 1800, "Bankers" or "Bankards" show up in Ohio.  David Bankard (in later records (Banker), who was born in 1778 in Frederick County, Maryland, arrived in Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, around 1800.  He married Mary Ann (Polly) McDill in Chillicothe in 1810, served in the War of 1812, and between 1815 and 1819 went further west, to Butler County, Ohio, to take up land for a mill.

Other Bankers show up in Butler and Montgomery Counties around the same time.  Joseph Banker (b. 1788) purchased land in Butler County in 1813.  James Banker appears on Montgomery County tax records in 1816. Solomon Banker (b.1797), who inscribed his name as "Solomon Bankerd" in a dictionary he owned in 1815, shows up in Montgomery County records in 1817.  Other Bankers appear in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records as early as 1807.

An Ohio tax list of 1825 lists the following Bankers in Butler County:

Adam
David
Joseph
Jacob
John
Moses
Solomon

Although we don't have specific documentation to make the link, we believe that all of these Bankers are children of Christopher Bankert.  Christopher's listing in the 1800 Frederick County Census shows him living somewhere between Libertytown and Woodsboro, and that he had nine children (7 boys and 2 girls) living in his household.  We have found no Maryland records indicating the names of these chldren, while we know the descendants of most of his other brothers and sisters.  The sale of his property in 1803 (the year Ohio became a state) and the arrival of so many Bankers in Ohio soon after that, makes us believe that Christopher took his family west within 6 years of the sale of his father's property to the Shriver family.  We do not know if Christopher completed the journey himself, or died along the way.  He would only have been in his mid 50s at the time.  He certainly does not show up in any further records.

Any help anyone can give us in firming up this information will be gratefully appreciated.

BANKER LANDS IN BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO

The following maps show Banker lands in Butler County Ohio.

The first map is a copy of an 1836 land map showing the location, in the eastern portion of Madison Township, Butler County, of most of the Banker properties at that time.
 

The next map is of the same area, but from 1855.  Note that Jacob Banker, David Banker's oldest son, is now shown in possession of much of David's property, although David lived until 1862.  Also note that Joseph Banker's property has been inherited by his sons Benjamin Franklin Banker and John Samuel Banker.

 
The following maps show the progressive disposition of the land in Warren County (right on the border with Butler County) that was owned by Solomon Banker.

First is a map from 1837, showing the land in possession of the heirs of John Coon, probably the father of Mary Ann Coon, who married Solomon Banker.

The next map, from 1856, shows the land in possession of Solomon Banker.

Finally, the next map shows how Solomon Banker's land was divided, after his death in 1861, among his sons, David and George Banker, and his son-in-law, John Bundy (who married Solomon's daughter Emeline).

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