Family Tree Briggs » Francis Billington (1606-1684)

Personal data Francis Billington 

• He was born in the year 1606 in Spaulding, Lincolnshire, England.Sources 2, 3, 4, 5, 7

  Attention: Was older than 65 years (70) when child (Francis Billington) was born (??-??-1676).

• He died on December 13, 1684 in Middleboro, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Verenigde Staten, he was 78 years old.Sources 2, 3, 5, 7
• A child of John Billington and Eleanor Bradford

Household of Francis Billington

He is married to Christiana Penn.

They got married on July 16, 1634 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, he was 28 years old.Sources 3, 4, 7

Child(ren):

1. Rebecca Billington  1634-????
2. Elizabeth Billington  1635-1709 
3. Desire Billington  1636-????
4. Joseph Billington  < 1637-1685
5. Martha Billington  1638-1704
6. Mary Billington  1640-1699
7. Isaac Billington  ± 1644-1709
8. Dorcas Billington  1645-1711
9. Mary Billington  1645-1717 
10. Rebecca Billington  1648-1648
11. "Child" Billington  1651-????
12. Mercy Billington  1652-1718
13. Francis Billington  1676-1772

Notes about Francis Billington

The Billington family may have originated from around Cowbit and Spaulding, in Lincolnshire, England. Francis Longland named young children Francis Billington son of John, and Francis Newton son of Robert, as heirs. In 1650, a survey of lands indicated that Francis was "about 40" and living in New England. Francis' himself stated in a 1674 deposition that he was 68 years old, so he was about 14 years old when he made the voyage on the Mayflower to Plymouth in 1620 with his parents John and Eleanor, and older brother John.

Francis was clearly an active and troublesome youth. He nearly caused a disaster onboard the Mayflower shortly after arrival, when he shot off his father's musket inside the Mayflower's cabin and sent sparks raining down near an open barrel of gunpowder. After he got to shore, he climbed up a tree and spotted a "great sea," which turned out to be a lake that even today is still known as "Billington's Sea". He and one of the Mayflower's crewmembers went to explore the sea, but became alarmed when they saw some abandoned Indian houses (they were alone with only a single gun).

Francis' father was hanged for murder in September 1630, and his brother John had died not too long before. In July 1634, Francis married Christian Eaton, the widow of Mayflower passenger Francis Eaton who had died the previous year autumn. Christian brought three of her own children, and one step-child from her deceased husband's previous marriage, all under the age of 14. With Francis Billington, she had nine more children. They raised their family at Plymouth, and moved in their later years to Middleboro, where they both died in 1684.

"The fifth day [of December, 1620] we, through God's mercy, escaped a great danger by the foolishness of a boy, one of ...Billington's sons, who, in his father's absence, had got gunpowder, and had shot off a piece or two, and made squibs; but there being a fowling-piece charged in his father's cabin, shot her off in the cabin; there being a little barrel of [gun] powder half full, scattered in and about the cabin, the fire being within four foot of the bed between the decks, and many flints and iron things about the cabin, and many people about the fire; and yet, by God's mercy, no harm done." Mourt's Relation, ed. Jordan D. Fiore (Plymouth, Mass. : Plymouth Rock Foundation), 1985, p. 27.

Monday, the eighth day of January ... This day Francis Billington, having the week before seen from the top of a tree on a high hill a great sea [known today as Billington Sea, actually a large pond], as he thought, went with one of the master's mates to see it. They went three miles and then came to a great water, divided into two great lakes; the bigger of them five or six miles in circuit, and in it an isle of a cable length square; the other three miles in compass, in their estimation. They are fine fresh water, full of fish and fowl. A brook issues from it; it will be an excellent place for us in time. They found seven or eight Indian houses, but not lately inhabited. When they saw the houses, they were in some fear; for they were but two persons and one piece." Mourt's Relation, ed. Jordan D. Fiore (Plymouth, Mass. : Plymouth Rock Foundation), 1985, p. 40.

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Timeline Francis Billington

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