Exhibit 23

          Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP to the incorporation of
          their report dated February 7, 1997, relating to certain
          consolidated financial statements of Brenton Banks, Inc.
          into the Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Brenton
          Banks, Inc. 
     288

AUDITORS' CONSENT

The Board of Directors
Brenton Banks, Inc.:

We consent to incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on 
Form S-8 of Brenton Banks, Inc. of our report dated February 7, 1997, 
relating to the  consolidated statements of condition of Brenton Banks, Inc. 
and subsidiaries as of December 31, 1996 and 1995 and the related 
consolidated statements of operations, changes in common stockholders' 
equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended 
December 31, 1996 which report appears in the December 31, 1996, annual report 
on Form 10-K of Brenton Banks, Inc.


                                       /s/ KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
                                       KPMG Peat Marwick LLP


Des Moines, Iowa
March 25, 1996
     289