Married Henrietta Coates, daughter of Leslie and Drusilla Coates, on June 10, 1778, in Georgia. She was born January 8, 1760 in Clarke County, Georgia. They had eleven or twelve children, all born in Georgia before the family came to Louisiana. His parents were Jacob Bankston, Sr. (b. 1739 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania) and Jemima (maiden name unknown). He was a private in the Georgia Troops during the Revolutionary War. Also served in the War of 1812. John's father Jacob was also a patriot in the Revolutionary War. There is some question as to his year of death. Genealogy information has death in 1823, tombstone has 1827. His grave is supposedly one of the oldest if not the oldest in Tangipahoa Parish. The cemetery sign reads 1823. His birthplace is also in question. One report I saw had him born in Guilford County, North Carolina. His great-great grandparents, Anders Bengtsson (Bankson), Sr. (47840751) and Gertrude Rambo (47845518), are buried at the Gloria Dei (Old Swedes) Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and can be found on findagrave. Their Findagrave numbers are beside their names. Gertrude Rambo's father, Peter Gunnarson Rambo (5679385), is also buried there. There is a link on her site to him.

Children:

Levi Howell Bankston, b. 1779 in Clarke County, Georgia
Cecilia Bankston, b. 5 April 1781 in Clarke County, Georgia
Henry Harrison Bankston, b. 1783 in Clarke County, Georgia
Rebecca Narcissus Bankston, b. 1784 in Clarke County, Georgia
Leslie Coates Bankston, b. 1785 in Clarke County, Georgia
Young Peter Bankston, Sr., b. 15 January 1789 in Clarke County, Georgia
Simeon Coates Bankston, b. 5 June 1791 in Clarke County, Georgia
Howell Bankston, b. 1795 in Clarke County, Georgia
John Jacques Bankston*, b. 3 March 1797 in Clarke County, Georgia
Eliza Bankston, b. 13 October 1800 in Clarke County, Georgia
Spencer Montgomery Bankston, Sr., b. 25 December 1802 in Butts or Clarke County, Georgia

* Our ancestor