The Billingtons - a family of hangmen.
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 Yorkshire hangman's position, where he was used rather than James Berry.
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 Yorkshire hangman's position, where he was used rather than James Berry.
James ran a barber shop in Farnworth near Bolton in Lancashire when not engaged in executions.
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 England and Wales, plus two men in Ireland and three men in Scotland.
James' first execution was at Armley Gaol in Leeds on the 26th of August 1884, when he hanged Joseph Laycock, a Sheffield hawker, for the murder of his wife and four children.
Laycock was to have said just before being hanged, "You will not hurt me?" to which James Billington replied, "No, thaal nivver feel it, for thaal be out of existence i' two minutes." This execution was judged to be successful and he carried out a further seven hangings at Armley and one at York Castle before succeeding Berry as the executioner for London and the Home Counties in 1892 and then effectively working nationwide.
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 Winchester. This would be the last triple hanging in Britain.
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.
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 England and Wales, his first job being the hanging of Edward Bell at Lincoln on the 25th of July 1899. He had assisted at 15 executions. He also travelled to Ireland for eight executions between 1902 and 1905 and carried out two in Scotland.
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 Leeds on the 29th of December 1903 for the murder of Emily's husband.
Hooded and noosed on the gallows Emily said, "Good morning John" to which he replied, "Good morning love". Emily replied, "Goodbye, God bless you" before the drop fell ending any more conversation. John Ellis assisted at this double hanging.
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 Bolton that left St. Pancras just after midnight. As the train was slowing for Luton, William was dozing when he became the victim of an attack and was thrown from the carriage onto the track, sustaining injuries to his legs, face and arms.
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 England and Wales, having assisted William at 24 executions. His first execution as “No. 1” was at Strangeways prison when he hanged Charles Whittaker on the 2nd of December 1903.
He hanged John Thomas Kay on the 17th of August 1904 at Armley prison in Leeds, while his brother was dealing with Samuel Holden at Winson Green prison in Birmingham on the same day. His final commission was at Armley for the execution of Thomas Tattersall on the 15th of August 1905. He died a few months later in October 1905.
In all the Billingtons carried out 235 executions in Britain between 1884 and 1905.
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