Henry Bankes (1698/1700 – 23 September 1776) was a British lawyer and politician, who served as Member of Parliament for Corfe Castle.^[1]

Bankes was the son of John Bankes MP and his wife Margaret, daughter of Sir Henry Parker Bt MP. He was born in 1698^[2] or 1700 (baptised 2 November 1700).^[1]

He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1724, M.A. 1728, Fellow 1723–29).^[3] He was admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1720, and called to the bar in 1726.^[1]

Bankes was King's Counsel to the Duchy of Lancaster 1738–61, and deputy chief justice of the South Wales circuit 1745–49.^[1]

Corfe Castle was a family seat, which Bankes' grandfather, father, and brother John Bankes MP had represented. At the 1741 general election, John stood aside for Henry, who was elected unopposed. He was re-elected unopposed in 1747, 1754 and 1761. Henry was initially a Tory opponent of the government, consistently voting against the government in his first parliament. However, he was made King's Counsel in 1747 on the recommendation of Lord Gower, another ex-Tory convert to the government, and thereafter acted with the government. Bankes stood down from parliament in 1762, to accept appointment as a Commissioner of HM Customs.^[1]

Bankes married firstly, on 30 December 1738, Eleanor Symonds, daughter of Richard Symonds of London. They had no children.^[1][2]

Bankes married secondly, on 11 June 1753, Margaret Wynne, daughter of John Wynne, Bishop of Bath and Wells. They had three children:^[2]

• John Bankes (1756–1766)
• Henry Bankes MP (1757–1834)
• Anne Bankes (1759–1778)