'Shank1'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Shank (Schank) of Castlerig, Schank (Shank) of Kinghorn

                               
(1) Somewhat arbitrarily we name the page 'Shank1' rather than 'Schank1'. Most of the sources reported below use 'Schank' but we follow the article in 'The Genealogist' in using the more modern version, without the "c". Again arbitrarily, we switch the spelling within the page for the lower section.
(2) The article in 'The Genealogist' starts with a rather sarcastic comment about the reliability of Nisbet's "Heraldry", noting that the editor "was wise thus to disclaim responsibility, as a criticial examination would without difficulty shew that for many of the statements made no vouchers could be produced" and continues that the account on Shank of Castlerig "is one of the most open to criticism, both in its original form and in the more developed state in which it reappeared in Burke's "Landed Gentry" 1847 and in the subsequent editions." Note that MGH & BLG1886 were both published after that article was released.
Murdoch Schank of Kinghorn, Fife (a 1236)
MGH identifies Murdoch as "an immediate son of Schank of that Ilk", a very ancient family in Mid Lothian, and reports that he "settled in Kinghorn in Fife". BLG1886 reports that the "tradition" that he "discovered and took charge of the body of King Alexander III, who met his death whilst riding amongst the cliffs at Kinghorn A.D. 1236, and for this service received a gift of the lands of Castlerig, near Kinghorn, from King Robert Bruce".
1. Robert Schank
  m. Isabel Irvine named Mabel by BLG1847
  A. John Schank
m. _ Kirkaldy
  i. Henry Schank of Kinghorn (a 1442)
  m. Christian Melville (dau of ?? Melville of Raith)
  a. Martin Schank of Kinghorn
  m. (1482) Alison Boswell (dau of ?? Boswell of Glasmount (later called Balmuto))
  (1) Martin Schank (a 1520)
  m. Bessie Lochore
  (A) Henry Schank of Kinghorn (a 1608)
  m. (1565) Elizabeth (Bessie) Balfour (dau of John Balfour of Ballo)
  (i) Henry Schank or Shank of Kinghorn (a 1608, MP) - continued below
  m. (1609) Janet Cunningham (dau of Robert Cunningham of Woodfield)
  (B) Martin Schank (a 1577) shown by MGH as possibly of this generation
  b.+ other issue - Ninian (a 1497), Robert (a 1478), James
  ii. Robert Schank (a 1455) shown by MGH as possibly of this generation

 

 

Henry Schank or Shank of Kinghorn (a 1608, MP) - continued above
m. (1609) Janet Cunningham (dau of Robert Cunningham of Woodfield)
1. Martin Shank
  m. (1640) Christian Reedie (dau of John Reedie (or Reddy) of Burnt Island)
  A. Henry Shank (a 1695)
  m. (1669) Agnes Balfour (dau of Alexander Balfour of Balgarvie (Belgowie))
  i. Martin Shank (b 28.06.1670, d 18.04.1747, minister of Auchertool then Newhills)
  m. (04.1698) Margaret Downie (dau of Thomas Downie of Edinburgh by dau of _ Dobie of Stoniehill)
  a. Alexander Shank of Castlerig (d 24.10.1771)
  m. (mcrt 06.09.1723) Mary Burnet (dau of Rev. John Burnet of Monymusk)
(1) 'The Genealogist' reports that Mary's father was "of the family of Burnet of Leys" and refers to the suggestion (given in BLG1847) that he was Sir Alexander Burnet, Bart of Leys, as "a mistake" and adds "It is possible that he may been a cadet of the family, but the careful researches of the present Lyon King of Arms in the history of the family of Burnett have not discovered his descent."
(2) 'The Genealogist' reports that Alexander & Mary had an "only son", Alexander (who dvp). That is supported by BLG1847 & BLG1886. However, MGH shows that he had an elder son, Admiral John (bpt 26.04.1726). Wikipedia ("John Schank", as at 20.03.21) shows that Admiral John was "the son of Alexander Schank of Castlerig", although it indicates that he was b c1740 and mentions only his marriage to Margaret Grant. We follow MGH and note that various other web sites do so also, for example: Dictionary of Canadian Biography ("John Schank").
  (1) John Shank or Schank, later of Barton House in Dawlish, Devon (bpt 26.04.1726, d 06.02.1823, Admiral)
  m1. ?? (widow of General _ Gitzgerald)
  (A) Margaret Shank (d 06.05.1812)
  m. (06.1800) John Wight of Dawlish (b c1776, Vice Admiral, son of George by _ Grieves of Berwickshire (cousin of Margaret's father))
  Their eldest son inherited Barton House and assumed the name Schank in lieu of Wight. This is supported by BLG1863 ('Schank of Barton House') but that does not give any information on the ancestry of Margaret's father.
  m2. Margaret Grant (sister of Sir William Grant, Master of the Rolls)
(2) Alexander Shank of Castlerig (b 26.06.1727, dvp)
  ii. Alexander Shank (bpt 1678, d 06.03.1749, minister of Drumoak, 3rd son)
  m. (04.12.1705) Elizabeth Burnett of Banchory-Ternan (b 1676, d 01.04.1730)
  a. Alexander Shank (b c1708, d 03.01.1780, minister of Ecclesgreig then Arbuthnott, 4th son)
m. Jane Gordon (dau of Bailie _ Gordon)
  (1) Alexander Shank of Castlerig (b 02.06.1736, d 05.01.1814, minister of St. Cyrus (Ecclesgreig))
  m. (05.05.1770) Diana Scott (b 1740-1, d 24.02.1825, dau of Robert Scott of Dunninald)
  (A) Alexander Shank of Castlerig & Gleniston (b 09.06.1771, d(sp) 1817)
  (B) Martin Shank of Castlerig & Gleniston (b 30.09.1774, dsp 1825)
  (C) Henry Shank of Laurencekirk, later of Castlerig & Gleniston (b 14.03.1778, d 04.01.1864, Director of HEICS) had issue
  m. (30.07.1808) Anna Maria Rivett-Carnac (sister of Sir James Rivett-Carnac, Bart (Governor of Bombay, Chairman of HEICS))
  (D) Diana Shank (b 08.12.1772)
  m. George Cook of Haddington (b 1772-3, d 13.05.1845, minister of Laurencekirk)
  (E) Jane Shank (b 04.02.1776, d unm 23.11.1840)
  (2) Jean Shank (b 20.03.1745, dsp)
  m. Kenneth Mackenzie of Tipperton
  (3)+ other issue - John (b 23.01.1738, d unm 10.12.1818, minister of Arbuthnott), William (b 29.06.1739, d unm 02.07.1763, minister of Fetteresco), Henry
  b. Margaret Shank
  m. _ Walker (minister of Dunnottar)
  c. Jean Shank
  m. _ Thomaon (minister of Marykirk)
  d.+ other issue - Martin, Henry, William (b c1716, d 1744, minister of Brechin), Marjory
  iii.+ other issue - Henry (bpt 1672), John (b c1685, d 1755), Christian (bpt 1674), Elizabeth (bpt 1676, d infant?), Mary (bpt 1681), Elizabeth (bpt 1683)

Main source(s): MGH (NS2, vol 1 (1886), 'Family of Schank (Shank or Schankis) of Castlerig, Kinghorn, co. Fife, N.B.', p235+), 'The Genealogist' (vol 1, George Marshall, 1877, 'Shank of Castlerig', p85+), BLG1847 ('Shank of Castlerig'), BLG1886 ('Schank of Castlerig')
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