Sir Reginald Mitchell Banks, KC (26 August 1880 – 9 July 1940) was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician and County Court judge. He was Member of Parliament for

Swindon Swindon () is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located at the northeastern edge of the South West England region, Swi ...

between 1922–29 and 1931–34. He married Eva Epstein (born Ehrmann, widow of Edward Epstein, of Louisville, Kentucky) in 1926 and became the step-father of Edward Melcarth. The son of surgeon Sir William Mitchell Banks, Banks was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

.''1901 England Census'' He was educated at

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, where he was senior classical scholar. He was

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

by the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1905. He

took silk A King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarch is a woman, the title is Qu ...

in 1923, was

Recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

from 1928 to 1934, and was elected a

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

of the Inner Temple in 1930. During the First World War, he enlisted in the 1st/5th Battalion,

The East Surrey Regiment The East Surrey Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot, the 70th ( ...

, before being commissioned into the Indian Army Reserve and attached to the 1st/5th Gurkha Rifles. He served in India and Mesopotamia, before being appointed as a military censor in the Press Bureau in 1917. He was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for

in 1922, serving until being defeated by

Christopher Addison Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison (19 June 1869 – 11 December 1951), was a British medical doctor and politician. A member of the Liberal and Labour parties, he served as Minister of Munitions during the First World War and was late ...

in 1929. He was elected again for Swindon in 1931, but stepped down upon his appointment as a County Court judge in 1934, and held the office until his death in 1940. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1928.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Reginald Mitchell Knights Bachelor 1940 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies British King's Counsel British Army personnel of World War I East Surrey Regiment soldiers British Indian Army officers 20th-century English judges People educated at Rugby School Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of the Inner Temple UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1931–1935 1880 births Territorial Force soldiers Indian Army personnel of World War I County Court judges (England and Wales) Lawyers from Liverpool Military personnel from Liverpool