Family of William Billings

(This person can be viewed within the Melton/Sharp Ancestry Chart by clicking here)

1. WILLIAM¹⁰ BILLINGS (WILLIAM⁹, RICHARD⁸ BILLING, ROGER⁷, WILLIAM⁶, JOHN⁵, NICOLAS⁴, THOMAS³, JOHN², JOHN¹) was born Bet. 1628 - 1629 in Taunton, Somerset, England, and died March 16, 1712/13 in Cosatuc Hill, Stonington, New London Co., CT. He married MARY UNKNOWN February 05, 1657/58 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk CO., MA. She was born Abt. 1635.

Notes for WILLIAM BILLINGS:

1. William was the progenitor of the Billings family in Stonington. He first appeared at Dorchester and Braintree, Massachusetts. His exact arrival in Stonington is not known but he was among the early planters building his dwelling-house on Cosatuc Hill. He was a large land owner. His children are known only by his will.

2. William's pedigree is believed to be false at least past his grandfather. From Perry Streeter, perry@streeter.com, August, 2001:

"An article from The New England Historic Genealogical Register by the Reverend Creighton Spencer-Mounsey (April 1927) serves as the principal source for information on the Billing family. During a visit to The New England Historic Genealogical Society in August 1991 your compiler had the pleasure of speaking with the Society's Director, Mr. Gary Boyd Roberts. He informed me that the noble and royal line of descent for William Billing from Sir Thomas and Katherine (Giffard) Billing referred to in the NEHGR article appears to have been fabricated by Somerby. Unfortunately, I had devoted a great deal of time to researching Katherine (Giffard) Billing's ancestry. Mr. Boyd doubts that the Somerby's ancestral line for William is accurate beyond his father William or grandfather Richard. The name is often seen as Billings."

Also from Perry is this comment about William's wife's surname not being "Atherton":

"WILLIAM-1 BILLING (William-A, Richard-B) was born at Taunton, Somersetshire, England about 1629 and died at Stonington, New London County, Connecticut 16 March 1712/13. He married at Dorchester, Massachusetts 12 February 1657/8 MARY _____, who died between 1713 and 1718. She was not the daughter of Humphrey Atherton as some have indicated, William and Mary were married by Major Atharton. They are both buried in North Stonington Cemetery: '1713 Here lies the body of William Billing who died in the 85th year of his age;' there is only a simple footstone for Mary, 'M.B.'"

More About WILLIAM BILLINGS:

Burial: Old Plain Cemetery, Stonington, CT

More About WILLIAM BILLINGS and MARY UNKNOWN:

Marriage: February 05, 1657/58, Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk CO., MA

Child of WILLIAM BILLINGS and MARY UNKNOWN is:

i. ABIGAIL¹¹ BILLINGS, b. July 01, 1667, Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA; d. November 23, 1705, North Stonington, New London, CT; m. JOHN RANDALL II, Abt. 1695, Westerly, Washington Co., RI; b. June 1666, Newport, Newport Co., RI; d. 1720, North Stonington, New London, CT.

Notes for ABIGAIL BILLINGS:

Either her date of death is wrong (11/23/1705) or Abigail, her daughter's birthdate (12/4/1705) is wrong .