William Billington

Does anyone have information on William Billington. He was called in to the Forest by Lord Glenbervie to replant the Forest of Dean. He lived in Parkend from about 1805 to 1818.

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William Billington resided in Parkend from 1810 - 1818 approx. He was appointed by Lord Glenbervie to superintend the replanting of the Dean following the passing of the Dean Forest Timber Act of 1808. Much of the following information comes from two books by Dr Cyril Hart, "Royal Forest; a history of Deans's woods" Clarendon Press, and "Forest of Dean; New History 1550 - 1818" ISBN 0-7509-0957-9 (?) published by Alan Sutton.

In Part 5 of the latter book can be found Billington's account of his 8 years work in the Forest of Dean, the difficulties encountered and surmounted, the failures and successes he experienced and the lessons learned. He wrote a book entitled 'A Series of Facts, Hints, Observations and Experiments on the Different Modes of raising young plantations of Oak for future Navies from the Acorn, Seedling and larger plants, showing the Difficulties and Objections that have occurred in the Practical Part' etc.

He moved from the Dean in 1818 and in the autumn of 1819 he started work for the Commissioners of Woods and Forests at Chopwell Woods in County Durham, and it was here that he wrote his treatise on his work in the Forest of Dean.

In 1829 his appointment had ended and he subsequently resided in Shrewsbury and County Mayo in Ireland where he was still living in 1854. It is not known when and where he died but it appears that he was a somewhat embittered man, having had a series of disagreements with Alexander Milne and others about his work and methods carried out in the Forest of Dean and Chopwell Wood.

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WILLIAM BILLINGTON
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Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 29 SEP 1776 Astley, , Shropshire, England
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Parents:
Father: JOHN BILLINGTON
Mother: ELIZABETH
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Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for locality listed in the record.
The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.
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Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
P006551 1695 - 1812 0908232 Film 6908555 Film
P006551 1695 - 1812 0908232 Film NONE
P006551 1695 - 1812 0908232 Film NONE
P006551 1695 - 1812 0908232 Film NONE
Sheet: 00

1841 Underhill
William Billington abt 1777 Shropshire, England Selattyn Shropshire
Sarah Billington abt 1775 Shropshire, England Selattyn Shropshire
William Billington abt 1813 Selattyn Shropshire
Margaret Billington abt 1816 Selattyn Shropshire
Mary Billington abt 1815 Scotland Selattyn Shropshire
Sarah Billington abt 1821 Selattyn Shropshire
Thomas Billington abt 1814 Selattyn Shropshire

1851 Tarvin Common
William Billington abt 1777 Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England Head Tarvin Cheshire
Mary Billington abt 1815 East Lattian, Scotland Head Tarvin Cheshire
Sarah Billington abt 1823 Dena Taegt, Glamorgan,[GLOUCESTERSHIRE DEAN FOREST] Wales Head Tarvin Cheshire

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This is part of my family tree.
What's your connection to the Billingtons?

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Anne, for many years until fairly recently, Slowhand was a major contributor to this site as a moderator and also researcher, you'll see his posts on hundreds of threads on this forum. I could be wrong but I doubt he's a relative to you at all.
If you or anyone else posts queries on the forum then any other member can answer to try to help, it's highly likely that they won't be related to the subject family; if they are then they will usually say so.
Hope this helps, J

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What’s your connection to the Billingtons?
I’ve heard this morning from someone with Rusty as a username. And he is related so that’s amazing after 5 years....
Anne

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Year 1813
Month Mar
Day 17
Parents Surname BILLINGTON
Child Forename(s) William
Father's Forename(s) William
Mother's Forename(s) Anne
Mother's Surname
Place of Residence Parkend
Occupation Nurseryman
Officiating Minister P M Procter
Event type C
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference P227 IN 1/6
Page No 2
Parish Newland

1851
William Billington abt 1814 Fordgate, Gloucestershire, England Visitor Liverpool Lancashire
Thomas Billington abt 1816 Foidgt, Gloucestershire, England Visitor Liverpool Lancashire

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He was my great great great grandfather.
What's your connection?

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Hi Anne, I do hope I'm wrong but it's possible that Sam may not read your post. As you know he posted several years ago, plus his username is displayed in black, showing that he's not visited the forum for at least a year.
Hopefully it won't be necessary, but as a safeguard I suggest you also try sending a direct mail to his computers inbox, by clicking the envelope icon next to his username. Personally I don't know if that will work either, he may have changed his email address etc, but the fact that the envelope is still being displayed suggests (I think, not sure??) that it might work, I do hope so.
Good luck, J

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Hi Ann,

I know this is a old post which ive just come across, i was wondering which line
of Billington you come from? William was my 3 times great grandfather also. My line
goes from his son John.

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Hi
Great to have heard from you
Have finally managed to log in ....had forgotten my sign in details.....!
I am the gt gt gt granddaughter of William Billington via William Moreton Birkin Billington, the eldest son.
We have done extensive genealogy and research into the family....
We know very little about John except he lived in Liverpool, was a book keeper and married Anne Smith, had 6 sons including Henry Moreland Billington who married first his cousin Margaret, daughter of William Moreton in 1870, and then married an Elizabeth and had a daughter In 1880 called Constance Hay, so I’m thinking his wife might have been Elizabeth Hay. They got married in Scotland. We think there is a second child as well but he died in 1883....
I have all the names of John’s 6 boys and several of their wives. We also have all their children and years of birth/baptism.
I think Peter has got the lower generations as well but that’s not printed out in front of me but on the computer....
I have always been interested in the fact that John didn’t go to Ireland but went to Liverpool and also if there is any connection with Billingtons sugar and also the chain of shops called B and M.
I’m sure you will have more details. Are you in touch with Lesley Riggall...or Ruggall as she is also descended from John.
Have you taken William the forester further back.
We have got back to the mid 1600s
Anne

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Hello to Anne and Rusty. I have recently discovered that I am also a descendant of William Billington, who is my three times great grandfather via his son John. Our local branch of the family knew there was a Liverpool connection but very little else about our origins as my grandfather moved to Wales following the early death of his father.I was therefore very surprised to discover John was born in the Forest of Dean and to trace his parents William and Ann. I would be very grateful to discover more about these ancestors. I am currently reading William's two books.
Regards, Kim.

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Hi Welsh Kim
Apologies for the delay in responding.
We have done extensive research on the family. William, the forester, had 8 children and John was the one we knew the least about.
However, we have managed to piece together a lot about him now. We have the names and dates of most of his children and their children.
Also a lot of info about all of his siblings and their descendants.
John never went to Ireland with his father and other siblings in 1850 but probably visited them. Instead he went to Liverpool and set up a grocers business.....I’m still trying to work out if B and M comes from that original business...the B stands for Billington......!
Let me know what info you would like and we can dig it out and get it to you. It’s a fascinating family....
I see you are Welsh Kim....we live in Cardiff.....where are you?
Anne

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Kim, Another quick message as I hadn’t ticked the box to get an email notification of a response from you...hope this works.
The forester was my three gt grandfather which I think makes us fifth cousins....!!!
Anne

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Hi Anne, I was very pleased to receive your messages and to discover a new cousin. I knew almost nothing about that branch of my family history until I began research on Ancestry about a year ago so almost all my information comes from what I have discovered via the internet. Please let me know more about the connection to Ireland . I found two possible suggestions of place of death for a William Billington born around 1777 one was for Cheshire which I thought more plausible and the other for County Mayo.Your information would be very helpful in casting light on that and I'm sure I will have many other questions.
My grandfather came to live in Swansea prior to World War 1 and that is where I and the rest of this part of the family still live.
Regards, Kim

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This would be so much easier via email but not sure how to exchange email addresses via this method .....
So much info that I can share with you but you may have found a lot through Ancestry already.
Do you have a tree set up with Ancestry or elsewhere...?
Anne

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Hi Anne

If one or the other of you go to your profile you can "set email address contactable". A little envelope will then show on your posts and you can use email.

Regards

Paul

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Admin 2

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I think I have done that...hope I ticke correct box

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Kim
Are you a medic in the Swansea Bay University Health Board...or a GP in Swansea...?
Anne

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Yes, I got the email but I’ve replied through this means. Not sure if I would reach you if I just replied to the email sent....
I have some details on different sites eg Genes Reunited and My Heritage but neither are complete...
Peter has everything on a huge Gedcom of nearly 1000 relatives but that includes all of his large family and my father’s side as well as my mother’s.....but this is so large and he doesn’t share it as has living people on it..
I’ve got a Billington family tree on a huge spread of ’wallpaper’ that extends the full length of the very long dining room table....! It’s got as much of John’s family that we know of which is quite a lot.....
As soon as I clear the Christmas table after NYDay then I’ll get it out and write back.
I’ve got a lot of info about the Forester and yes, he died in County Mayo. The family originated in Cheshire, then Shropshire, etc....
Masses of info to give you. We have got back to the 1600s and the Forester’s gt gt gt grandfather. Stuck at that point......!
Anne

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Hi Kim
I’ve tried to get back to you but can’t access/find your email though it did pop up on one of the replies from the Forest of Dean Forum. Then it disappeared.....
I see you have my email address...could you email me directly as I have loads of info you may well be interested in....
Anne

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Hi Anne,
I am having lots of problems contacting you. Have sent you an e-mail in which I explain a bit more but it seems that neither of us has the other's e-mail address so can only communicate via the forum and some e-mails are going missing. Anyway please let me know if you have received either of the messages I have sent you today.
Kim.

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Hi Kim and Anne

If Kim ticks the setting on the user profile that says "email address contactable" then the envelope symbol will appear by the name. That might help.

When e you have emailed each other once you can simply carry on directly emailing without using the forum facility

Regards

Paul

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Admin 2

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Hi Paul, we have now managed to exchange e-mails directly. Thanks for your help.

Kim

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