The son of Jordan Henry Banks (1832-1887), and Sarah Jane (1849-1940), née McMullen,[2] James Albert Banks was born on the Maryborough goldfields on 10 December 1883.[3] His father, Jordan Henry Banks, was once an American slave:
Mr. Banks's father [Jordan Henry Banks (1832–1887)], a giant of about 6ft. 3in., and built proportionately, and who commanded the respect and good will of all sections in Maryborough, was a slave before the civil war. Such was his great strength that the log cabins, in which runaways were confined on the plantations, were not strong enough to hold him. He was chased and run down by hounds; but ultimately made his escape to freedom via Canada, coming to Australia and settling in Maryborough, where all the family were born. — The Australasian, 29 November 1919.[4]
^"Body Found in Yard". The Sunday Times. No. 1693. Western Australia. 6 July 1930. p. 2. Retrieved 24 November 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
