Eunice Joan Banks died peacefully at home in St John’s Street, Devizes on Friday, November 21 after a short illness, just 12 hours before her 104th birthday.

She was born on November 22, 1910 in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, as the second child of Miriam and Wilbert Banks. Her siblings were Betty, John, Barbara and Brian.

In 1920 the family moved to Enfield Wash, which was then the countryside.

As a child Miss Banks had attended Chesterfield Road School and then Edmonton County Grammar school.

She adored history and was fluent in French, along with having an excellent understanding of other European languages, and she enjoyed travelling.

She then worked for the civil service and the General Post Office in London, from which she retired as a senior manager in 1969.

Miss Banks carried on living in Enfield caring for her father until 1977 when he died and she inherited the family property.

In 1981 she made the decision to move to Devizes as since 1946 she had been 
researching her family’s genealogy.

She had heard the family story from her grandmother Mary Sarah Sissons Perry, of Devizes, that the family had inherited large amounts of money and property.

All her research was backed by evidence which takes the Banks family back to Lacock in the 1500s, and the family had owned and run several pubs and hotels in the area in the 1800s.

She has written many records for family reading but it is intended to have some privately published so her research may be shared with the Chippenham Records Office and the Wiltshire Family History Society, with which she was heavily involved.

In between the research she also worked as a volunteer for Oxfam.

She never married, and her large and extended family are scattered all around the country.She is survived by her brother Brian, 94.

Amongst those celebrating her life will be her nephews and nieces, great nieces and her great nephews who she called ‘her boys’.

Niece Margaret Jenkins said: “She gave so much to others but would accept little for herself. 
“A truly articulate, eccentric and fiercely independent lady who will be greatly missed by her family.”
She has asked that no flowers be sent and donations are given either to Oxfam or to the Wiltshire Family History Society.

The funeral service will take place on Friday at 2.30pm at Semington Crematorium.