Biographical Summary
The Billington family may have
originated from around Cowbit and Spaulding, in Lincolnshire, England,
where Francis Longland named young Francis Billington son of John
Billington an heir. In 1650, a survey indicated that Francis
Billington was then in New England. However, research has thus far
failed to turn up any other records of the family's residence there.
The Billington family was Plymouth Colony's troublemakers. Just
after arrival, young Francis Billington shot off his father's musket in
the Mayflower's cabin, showering sparks around open barrels of
gunpowder, nearly causing a catastrophe. A few months later in
March 1621, father John was brought before the company for "contempt of
the Captain's lawful command with opprobrious speeches", and was
sentenced to have his neck and heels tied together: "but upon humbling
himself and craving pardon, and it being the first offence, he is
forgiven." Son John wandered off in May 1621, and was brought by
Nauset Indians to Cape Cod, where he was later retrieved. In 1624,
Billington was implicated in the Oldham-Lyford scandal (a failed revolt
against the Plymouth church), but played ignorant and was never
officially punished for involvement. In 1625, Governor Bradford
wrote a letter to Robert Cushman saying "Billington still rails against
you, ... he is a knave, and so will live and die." In 1630,
Billington shot and killed John Newcomen, they having been common
enemies of one another for some time. Billington was tried by jury
and hanged in September 1630 for the murder. In 1636, wife Eleanor
(sometimes Helen) was sentenced to sit in the stocks and be whipped for
slandering John Doane. Eleanor would later remarry to Gregory
Armstrong in 1638.
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