James Billington (1847–1901)
James Billington was born in Preston, Lancashire, in 1847 and had a lifelong fascination with hanging. As an eleven-year-old boy, he built a model gallows and practised hanging dummies on it.
He unsuccessfully applied to succeed William Marwood as the official executioner, but 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.
During his time 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.
Early Executions
James’s first execution took place 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 is said to have asked just before being hanged, “You will not hurt me?” to which James replied, “No, thaal nivver feel it, for thaal be out of existence i’ two minutes.”
This execution was judged successful, and James went on to carry out seven more hangings at Armley and one at York Castle before succeeding James Berry as the executioner for London and the Home Counties in 1892, eventually working nationwide.
His first commission outside Yorkshire was at Shepton Mallet on the 15th of December 1891, where he hanged Henry Dainton for the murder of his wife at Bath.
Notable Cases
James hanged 24 men and three women at Newgate Prison, including Henry Fowler and Albert Milsom on the 9th of June 1896 for the murder of 79-year-old widower Henry Smith, along with accomplice 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 entrusted to her care. Dyer had received £10 to care for the child. This form of murder was known as “baby farming,” and it’s believed she murdered at least six other babies. Each was strangled with white tape—her grim signature. At 57, Dyer was the oldest woman to go to the gallows since 1843.
Perhaps James’s most intriguing execution was that of the poisoner Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, on the 15th of November 1892 at Newgate. As the trap began to move, Cream reportedly uttered the words, “I am Jack the….” While it’s highly unlikely he was Jack the Ripper, the claim 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.
Final Years
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 poisoning her sister for life insurance.
James conducted Britain’s first two hangings of the 20th century: Louisa Masset at Newgate on the 9th of January 1900 for murdering her illegitimate son, and Ada Chard Williams—another baby farmer—on the 8th of March.
His final job was at Strangeways Prison in Manchester on the 3rd of December 1901, where he hanged Patrick M’Kenna for murdering his wife. James died of chronic emphysema just ten days later, on Friday the 13th of December 1901, at his home—the Derby Arms Hotel in Churchgate, Bolton—aged 54. He was succeeded by his sons: Thomas, William, and John.
The Home Office list issued in 1901 included James, Thomas, and William Billington, as well as William Warbrick, Robert Wade, Henry Pierrepoint, and John Ellis.
Thomas Billington (1872–1902)
Period on Home Office List: 1897–1901
Thomas was James Billington’s eldest son. He assisted his father at two hangings and his brother William at three before dying of pneumonia on the 10th of January 1902, aged just 29, also at the Derby Arms Hotel.
William Billington (1875–1951)
Period on Home Office List: 1899–1905
The second of James’s three sons, William succeeded his father and was assisted by his younger brother, John. William carried out 60 executions as principal in England and Wales. His first job was the hanging of Edward Bell at Lincoln on the 25th of July 1899. He had previously assisted at 15 executions.
Between 1902 and 1905, he travelled to Ireland for eight executions and carried out two more in Scotland.
Key Executions
William conducted Newgate’s last execution—that of George Woolfe—on the 2nd of May 1902.
He also dealt with the infamous baby farmers Annie Walters and Amelia Sach, hanged at Holloway Prison on the 3rd of February 1903. These were the first executions at the newly designated female-only facility.
On the 29th of December 1903, he executed Emily Swan and her lover John Gallagher at Armley Prison in Leeds 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 then said, “Goodbye, God bless you,” before the trap fell. John Ellis assisted at this double execution.
Assisted by Henry Pierrepoint, William also conducted the first hanging at Pentonville Prison on the 30th of September 1902, executing John McDonald, who had stabbed Henry Greaves to death.
Assault and Final Days
On the 3rd of March 1903, William travelled to Wandsworth to hang Edgar Edwards. On his return trip from St. Pancras just after midnight, he was dozing as the train slowed near Luton when he was attacked and thrown from the carriage. He suffered injuries to his legs, face, and arms.
His final execution took place at Pentonville on the 13th of December 1904, when he hanged Charles Wade. William was removed from the Home Office list after being sentenced to one month in Wakefield Gaol for failing to support his wife and two children.
John Billington (1880–1905)
Period on Home Office List: 1902–1905
John joined the Home Office’s approved list in 1902. He carried out 14 hangings as principal in England and Wales and had assisted William at 24.
His first execution as No. 1 was at Strangeways Prison, where he hanged Charles Whittaker on the 2nd of December 1903. On the 17th of August 1904, he executed John Thomas Kay at Armley Prison while his brother William was simultaneously executing Samuel Holden at Winson Green in Birmingham.
His final assignment was the execution of Thomas Tattersall on the 15th of August 1905 at Armley. John died just a few months later in October 1905.
Legacy
Between 1884 and 1905, the Billington family carried out a total of 235 executions across Britain—a legacy unique in the annals of British penal history.
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