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Seems to me that Minnie Elliot was the mother of Bertie, Minnie and Reginald which is why they became Elliot when they were placed in the workhouse.  Can we now be certain that the boy Reginald Elliot in the Workhouse/Farningham Home became Reginald Patrick Elliot who was called up for the Army in 1917?

Personally I think there's a lot going for it - i.e.
1.  Army record says Birthplace - Strood, although Reginald Banks was born in Greenwich, the family appeared to be back in Strood fairly soon after that.
2.  Army record states - enlisted 26 March 1917 - states age on enlistment 19 years, (dash) months, if he was born on 9 March, he would have been 19 years and a couple of weeks.  Of course he may not have known his birthday and just knew he was about 19.
3.  Army record states he was a bootmaker's assistant.  The Farningham record of Reginald's release has him leaving in 1914 to go to the American Repairing Company at 393 Edgware Rd.  The Post Office directory of 1914 has a bootmaker, L Radenti operating at 393 Edgware Rd. (couldn't find anything on the American Repairing Co).  Reg then goes back to Farningham and leaves again to go to Messrs Pocock Bros, 235 Southwark Bridge Rd.  Pocock Bros were Boot Manufacturers with a factory at 235 Southwark Bridge Rd in 1914 (Post Office Directory).
4.  Army record lists Herbert as Brother - next of kin.

So it would seem that Frederick Banks had the first child Frederick with 'Eliza', the next 3 with Minnie, then the next 3 with Catherine, who he married in 1901.  Interestingly, Catherine is with another partner, Edward Terry in 1911, with another child, while her own children are with Frederick.  Catherine married Edward Terry in 1913 after Frederick dies in 1912.

It would be interesting to find out if Frederick Banks the first child was also placed in the Workhouse in 1902 with the other children (it seems his mother died in 1899).  When we enquired we were only looking for Elliots, and perhaps he would have gone in as a Banks (or even under his mother's maiden name if she wasn't married to Fred Banks, which we don't know).

I'd like to know what happened to Minnie Elliot - in 1901 there is a Minnie Elliot working in a Workhouse in Coventry, born Ireland and the right age that I can't track backwards to eliminate her.

Any comments??

Hi, Pete's friend here.  This is the info that Medway Archives sent me, which is where we got Eliza Collins from:

"The creed register (ref: WIc/, microfilm 167) shows that Reginald Elliott was admitted from Strood Intra on 11 August 1902, and discharged on 27 July 1904. The name of the informant is given as Mrs Elliott. The same page of the creed register shows the admission of two other Elliotts, Bertie and Minnie, who were admitted on 6 March 1902 from Strood Intra and also discharged on 27 July 1904. . The name of the informant is given as 'aunt'. The name of the pauper's nearest relative or friend is given as 'Eliza Collins, 5 Pearson Street, Station Road, Strood.'
 
The admission and discharge register for 1902 (ref: WIa/2, microfilm 161) confirms this information. P. 41 shows the admission of Bertie and Minnie Elliott. Bertie was aged 9 and born in 1893, and Minnie aged 6 and born in 1896. They were brought in by their aunt Eliza Collins of the address mentioned above. P. 65 records the admission of Reginald Elliottt, aged 4 who was born on 1898. No extra notes accompany his admission."

I feel that it would be worth getting the birth certificate for Reginald Banks (and/or Herbert or Minnie) as it would establish whether the mother was Eliza, who Frederick appeared to be married to, although I haven't yet found a marriage cert, or Minnie, as stated on the baptism.