The Billingtons - a family of hangmen.
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James Billington
was born at Preston in Lancashire in 1847 and had a life long fascination with
hanging. As an eleven year old boy he had built a model gallows and practiced
hanging dummies on it. He had unsuccessfully applied to succeed William Marwood
but only managed to secure the
In
the period he was on the Home Office List, 1884-1901, he carried out 151
hangings in total, executing 141 men and five women in
James'
first execution was at Armley Gaol in Leeds on the 26th of August 1884, when he
hanged Joseph Laycock, a
His
first commission outside Yorkshire was at Shepton Mallet on the 15th December
1891 where he hanged Henry Dainton for the murder of
his wife at Bath
James Billington hanged 24 men and three women at Newgate prison, including Henry Fowler
and Albert Milsom on the 9th of June 1896 for beating to death 79 year old
widower Henry Smith, together with William Seaman.
The following day (10th of June 1896) he hanged Amelia Dyer at
Newgate for the murder of four month old Doris Marmon, a baby who had been
entrusted to her care, having received £10 to look after her. This particular
form of murder was known as "Baby Farming" and it is thought that
Dyer had murdered at least six other babies for money. Each baby had been
strangled with white tape. As Mrs. Dyer said, that was how you could tell it
was one of hers. At 57, she was the oldest woman to go to the gallows since
1843.
Perhaps
his most interesting execution was that of the poisoner, Dr. Thomas Neill
Cream, on the 15th of November 1892, again at Newgate. Cream waited till the
very last moment as he felt the mechanism under the trap
begin to move, to utter the words, "I am Jack the...." It is
highly unlikely that Cream could have been Jack the Ripper but it certainly
caused a stir at the time.
On
the 21st of July 1896, assisted by William Warbrick, James carried out the
triple hanging of Phillip Matthews, Frederick Burden and Samuel Smith at
The
last female hanging of the 19th century was that of Mary Ann Ansell at
St. Albans prison on the 19th of July 1899.
She was executed for the poisoning of her sister for her life insurance.
James Billington conducted Britain’s first two hangings of the 20th century, those
of 33 year old Louisa Masset
at Newgate on the 9th of January 1900 for the murder of her illegitimate son
and “baby farmer” Ada
Chard Williams, also at Newgate on the 8th of March.
His
last job was at Strangeways prison in Manchester on the 3rd of December 1901
the hanging of Patrick M'Kenna,
who was to die for murdering his wife. James Billington died of chronic emphysema
on Friday the 13th of December 1901 at his home, the Derby Arms Hotel in
Churchgate, Bolton, at the age of 54. He
was succeeded by his sons, Thomas, William and John.
The Home Office list issued in 1901, comprised James, Thomas and William Billington, plus William Warbrick, Robert Wade, Henry Pierrepoint and John Ellis.
Thomas Billington
(1872-1902).
Period on Home Office List
1897-1901.
Thomas Billington was James Billington's eldest son and assisted his father at two hangings and his brother
William at three, before dying of pneumonia aged 29, on the 10th of January
1902, also at the Derby Arms Hotel.
William Billington (1875-1951).
Period on Home Office List
- 1899-1905.
The second of James Billington's three sons, William,
took over from his father and was assisted by his younger brother John. William
was to carry out 60 executions as principal in
William carried out Newgate’s last execution, that of George Woolfe on the 2nd
of May 1902. He also dealt with Annie Walters and Amelia Sach
who were hanged at Holloway prison on the 3rd of February 1903 for baby
farming. These were the first executions at the newly created female only
Holloway prison. He executed Mrs. Emily
Swan and her boyfriend, John Gallagher, who died together at Armley prison
Assisted by Henry Pierrepoint, he also carried out the first hanging at
Pentonville on the 30th of September 1902, when they executed John McDonald who
had stabbed one Mr. Henry Greaves to death.
On the 3rd of March 1903
William had travelled to Wandsworth to hang Edgar Edwards. He took a train back to
His last execution was also at Pentonville, that of Charles Wade on the 13th of December 1904. William was removed from the Home Office list after he was sentenced to serve one month in Wakefield Gaol for failing to maintain his wife and their two children.
John Billington
(1880-1905).
Period on Home Office List
- 1902-1905.
John was added to the Home Office's approved list of executioners in 1902. He
carried out 14 hangings as principal in
In all the Billingtons carried out 235 executions in Britain between
1884 and 1905.
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