Millbank like a lot of names have many spellings including Milbank. 

Like a lot of families in Henham there was a mass migration during the late 1800’s some enforced by the law and others by the economic position of agriculture.  The following was kindly provided by Dianne Milbank.

I have been interested in my family history for some time now, but only recently researched it in any depth. I was fortunate enough to make contact with a first cousin of my father - a Tim Milbank - whose own father had been ‘left behind’ when my grandfather, Frederick Charles Milbank, emigrated to Australia along with his younger brother Frank, c. 1910. Tim’s father was slightly older than the two boys, but because his first wife died he remarried quite a bit later, and had a family in the late 1920s and 30s. Thus, although my own father has been dead for some time now, his first cousin is still very much alive!

Tim has kept many old family documents and photographs, as did my cousin in Australia.

I have researched the census records thoroughly (although I am sure there is still more to find), and we now know pretty much what happened to the many members of the family when they left Henham sometime between 1841 and 1851.

I don’t know if you would be that interested in the years after they left Essex……? I have looked at the Henham website (pretty impressive it is too, as village websites go!), but there is not much there about the Milbanks. Tim and I intend to try to discover a bit more family history further back in time, but have not yet had the time ouselves to spare!

© Henham History