John Sankey

  General Notes:

Well-to-do farmer of Polderhurst Court near Canterbury in Kent. Supposed to have come from Ireland, but more probably son of Thomas and Elizabeth Sankey, said to have been an exiled son of [? or cousin] of Sir Hierom Sankey, M.P. of Cork.

There are villages called Sankey and a brook or river of that name in Lancashire. The first Sankey of which anything is known, is one who accompanied King John to Ireland and eventually settled there, A descendant of this man, one John Sankey, born 1655, came into Kent from Ireland, took work at a farm called Poldhurst Court near Canterbury, and when his master died he married the widow, one Mistress Margaret Newton. He and she were working in the field one day, and saw in the ditch a portmanteau, which they took home. No one enquired for it and the farmer and his wife decided that someone in those troublous times, when fleeing for his life, had dropped it. What were the contents or the portmanteau was never divulged, but John Sankey soon became a very well-to-do farmer, and set up his five sons in other parts of East Kent.

From his tombstone:

"Here lieth the body of JOHN SANKEY the elder of POULDHAM in the parish, who died Nov. 1st. 1740 aged 85 years. Also here lieth the body of MARGARET SANKEY wife of ye above named John Sankey. She died Dec. 24th. 1726 aged 63. Who left 8 children 5 sons and 3 daughters: John Thomas Edward Samuel Mathew Elizabeth Mary & Sarah all viii living."

John married Margaret Newton. (Margaret Newton was born in 1663, died on 24 December 1726 in Canterbury, Kent and was buried in 1726 in Harbledown, Kent.)