Originating from the Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire area, this family bears a place-name from a residence at the Windy Bank, possibly Swithenbank or Brooksbank.
Henry de Windibonk was living ca. 1300 and Robert del Wyndybankes in 1315. Another family called 'of Windibank' existed at Ashton-under -Lyme in 1422.
The Windebanks with whom we are interested appear to have come from Lancashire to Calais in the latter part of the fifteenth century, and they were probably buried in St. Nicholas's Church, Calais, or in the attached chapels of the Ressurrection, Jesus, or St. George. The will of Walter Colepepir of Sevenoaks, Kent, Marshall of the Town of Calais, dated September 14, 1514 was witnessed by the Rev. Robert Windebank, Parson of Colne (presumed to be the parish oand town of Colne in Lancashire) and John Wyndbank, Solgyer of Caleys. Since Robert was a priest, we can assume that John was the father of the earliest proved ancestor.