Billington family

Billington
Ethnicity English
Current region Lancashire
Place of origin Great Britain
Members
Connected families Hart wrestling family
Distinctions Executioners, Hand-to-hand combat
Name origin and meaning It's the name of several villages in England, meaning The settlement of the Billingas.[lower-alpha 1]

The Billington family is a British family of English nationality which has had a long history in England as state employed executioners[2] as well as several members who ventured into the world of combat sports and professional wrestling.[3] Two of the family's sports oriented members would go on to marry into the Canadian Hart wrestling family.[4]

Notable members

Executioners

James Billington

James Billington (1847 – 13 December 1901)[5] was a hangman for the British government from 1884 until 1901.[6] Billington was said to have had a "lifelong fascination" with hanging, and made replica gallows in his back yard on which he practised with weights and dummies and, it was rumoured locally, stray dogs and cats. Billington died at home from bronchitis in the early hours of 13 December 1901, one month after his last execution. Billington had three sons – Thomas, William, and John – who all ended up being executioners.[6] He had also been a wrestler in his youth.[7][8]

Thomas Billington

Thomas Billington (born 1872) was an English executioner from 1897 to 1901. He was the oldest son of James Billington. He gained a job as an assistant executioner in 1897 thanks to his father.[9] He usually worked as an assistant to his father or brother, William. In December 1901, James Billington died. Thomas died in December 1901, within a moth of his father of pneumonia at the age of 29.[10]

William Billington

Main article: William Billington

William Billington (1875 – 1952) was an English executioner. He was on the Home Office list from 1902 to 1905. William was second son of executioner James Billington, and carried out his first hanging in July 1899. But and underwent formal training in early 1900.[11] After his father died in December 1901, William became the principal executioner for England. He was at first assisted by his older brother Thomas and then by his younger brother John,[12] along with Henry Pierrepoint.

John Billington

John Billington (1880 – October 1905) was an English executioner. He was on the Home Office list from 1901 to 1905.[12] Billington was the youngest son of James Billington[13] In early 1902, at the age of 21, John attended an execution training course at Newgate Prison.[10] His brother William was England's primary executioner by this time, and the two became collaborators. They first worked on 18 March.[14] John was the assistant for 10 of William's commissions in 1902. He helped perform the last execution at Newgate and the first one at Pentonville.[15] Billington died at age 25 in 1905 from injuries sustained by an accident.

Sports

Joe, Eric and Bill Billington

Joe Billington was an English bare-knuckle boxer. Billington was known to be a bully in his area and was highly dreaded figure among his neighbours, no one was allowed to walk outside of his house and no one went near in fear of being victims of his ferocious nature. He had three children, Bill, Eric and Joyce.[16][17] Joe Billington was said to frequently abuse his wife Nellie. Joe and his oldest son Eric would often have severe physical fights when Eric would try to protect his mother. Joe eventually died of lung cancer. He was said to have smoked about 90 cigarettes every day, one after another.[18]

Eric Billington, (born January 2, 1931).[19] Joe's oldest son became a professional boxer. Eric used to fight with his father constantly over how his father treated his mother. He eventually moved from England to Edmonton in Canada to get away from the violence. During his professional boxing career he was active between 1947 and 1955. He boxed as a lightweight or welterweight and participate in about 91 professional contests.[20] He competed for the Central Area Welterweight Title.[21]

Billy Billington was a boxer and the youngest son of Joe Billington. He had four children, Tom, Carol, Julie and Mark.[22] He always intended for his oldest son Tom to become a great boxer and trained him from a very young age. He was known to be harsh on his son, once breaking his nose without a warning. He would also often beat his wife Edna.[18]

Tom Billington

Main article: Dynamite Kid

Thomas "Tom" Billington (born 5 December 1958), better known by his ring name The Dynamite Kid, is a retired English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Billington is considered by many to be one of the greatest in ring performers in wrestling history and has inspired many other successful wrestlers such as Chris Benoit and Daniel Bryan.

He was also during his career well known for his short temper and has been referred to as a bully by many of his fellow wrestlers. He once broke one of his brother in-law Bruce Hart's jaw with one punch after he felt that Hart had slighted him.[23][24]

Davey Boy Smith

Main article: Davey Boy Smith

Davey Boy Smith (November 27, 1962 – May 18, 2002) was a British professional wrestler. He was the son of Sid Smith and Joyce Billington who was the daughter of Joe Billington.[25][16] Smith is best known for his tenures in the World Wrestling Federation, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling. Smith married Diana Hart of the Hart wrestling family.

David Hart Smith

Main article: David Hart Smith

Harry Smith, better known one of his ring names David Hart Smith is a British Canadian pro wrestler. He's best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Entertainment and New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is the son of Davey Boy Smith and Diana Hart.[26] Outside of professional wrestling Smith has considered and trained in mixed martial arts.[27]

Bronwyne Billington

Bronwyne Billington is the daughter of Tom Billington who is a pro wrestling valet who manages her husband, Dan Vander Griendt who is a pro wrestler. They perform together as the Dynamite Duo under the ring names The Dynamite Doll and Dynamite Dan Myers.[28] The couple has a daughter named Miami Jayne.[29] She has also managed wrestler Pete Powers.[30]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Billingas were a pre 7th century people who were well known for their fighting abilities.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Last name: Billington". History. surnamedb.com. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  2. ↑ "The Billington Family 1884-1904". Northern Ireland Executions. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  3. ↑ Randazzo V, Matthew (2008). Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit & the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry. Phoenix Books. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-59777-622-6.
  4. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  5. ↑ Fielding (2008), p. 41
  6. 1 2 Stokes & Dalrymple (2007), p. 54
  7. ↑ Fielding, Steve (2008). Pierrepoint: A Family of Executioners. London: John Blake Publishing Ltd. p. ?. ISBN 978-1-84454-611-4.
  8. ↑ Howard Engel (1997). Lord high executioner: an unashamed look at hangmen, headsmen, and their kind. Robson Books. pp. ?. ISBN 1-86105-096-8.
  9. ↑ "The English Hangmen 1850 - 1964". capitalpunishmentuk.org. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  10. 1 2 Fielding, p. 46.
  11. ↑ Fielding, Steve. The Executioner's Bible: The Story of Every British Hangman of the Twentieth Century (John Blake, 2008), p. 42.
  12. 1 2 "The English hangmen 1850 - 1964". capitalpunishmentuk.org. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  13. ↑ Fielding, Steve. The Executioner's Bible: The Story of Every British Hangman of the Twentieth Century (John Blake, 2008), p. 56.
  14. ↑ Fielding, p. 264.
  15. ↑ Rennie, John. "An Unenviable East End Double", 12 October 2009. towerhamlets.gob.uk. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  16. 1 2 Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 155 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  17. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 134 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  18. 1 2 Hart, Diana; McLellan, Kirstie (2001). Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family. Fenn. p. ? pp. ISBN 1-55168-256-7.
  19. ↑ "Eric Billington". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  20. ↑ "Eric Billington". boxinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  21. ↑ "Area Title Bouts 1950-1979" (PDF). boxinghistory.org.uk. p. 18. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  22. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 136 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  23. ↑ Martha Hart; Eric Francis (2004). Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 70 pp. ISBN 978-1-59077-036-8.
  24. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 8 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  25. ↑ "Family, friends and fans worldwide mourn the tragic loss of wrestling legend Davey Boy Smith". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. 2002.
  26. ↑ Milner, John M. "Harry Smith". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
  27. ↑ Hammond, Mick (December 28, 2014). "Pro Wrestler Davey Boy Smith Jr. (aka Harry Smith) Talks MMA and Catch Wrestling Crossover". MMAweekly.com.
  28. ↑ "Interview : Dynamite Dan". thebritishwrestlingrevival.wordpress.com. 2014.
  29. ↑ "Interview With The "Dynamite Doll" Bronwyne Billington, Pro Wrestling Manager & Valet". kayfabekickout.com. 2013.
  30. ↑ "Dynamite Doll". WrestlingData.com.

Further reading

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