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Billing History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Billing History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The name Billing is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in or near the parish of Billing, which was located in the diocese of Liverpool. The name of that place is derived from the Old English word bil, meaning sword or halberd, and later came to indicate a pruning hook used in harvesting fruit.

Early Origins of the Billing family

The surname Billing was first found in Lancashire at Chapel-End Billinge, a township and chapelry, in the parish and union of Wigan, hundred of West Derby. "Billinge anciently gave name to a family the chief line of which terminated about the reign of Edward I., in a female heir, who married into the Heyton family." 1

At one time the, Hengar, a parcel of the manor of Penrose-Burden, which extends into the parish of St. Breward in the parish of St. Judy, Cornwall was the family seat of the Billinge family "whose heiress married John Trelawny, Esq. of Coldrimnick." 2

Early History of the Billing family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Billing research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1481, 1600, 1680, 1687, 1746, 1758, 1800 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Billing History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Billing Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Billing were recorded, including Billings, Billins, Billinge, Billing, Biling and others.

Early Notables of the Billing family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Thomas Billing (d. 1481?), was an English Chief Justice, and is thought to have been a native of Northamptonshire, where two villages near Northampton bear his name, and to have afterwards lived i...
Joseph Billings (c.1758-1806), was an English navigator and explorer in search for the Northeast Passage; and William Billings (1746-1800), an American choral composer

Billing migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Billing family emigrate to North America:

Billing Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Billing, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1649 3
Elizabeth Billing, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 3
John Billing, aged 18, who arrived in Maryland in 1684 3

Billing Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Tho Billing, who landed in Virginia in 1719 3
Michel Billing, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 3
Siegfried Billing, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 3
Siegfried Billing, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1752
Abraham Billing, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 3

Billing Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Billing, age 32, who landed in New York City in 1820
Christina Billing, aged 29, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1846 3
Samuel Billing, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 3
Wilhelm Billing, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1850 3
Fr Billing, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Billing Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. James H. Billing, (b. 1864), aged 36, Cornish miner, travelling aboard the ship "Saint Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th September 1900 en route to New York, USA 4
Mr. Richard Billing, (b. 1877), aged 28, Cornish carpenter, travelling aboard the ship "Saint Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to New York, USA 4

Billing migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Billing Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Joseph Billing, English convict from Bedford, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
Thomas Billing, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Trafalgar" in 1847 6
Mr. Thomas Billing, (b. 1803), aged 45, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Blonde" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th October 1848 7
Mrs. Jane Billing, (b. 1805), aged 43, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Blonde" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th October 1848 7
Mr. Thomas Billing, (b. 1836), aged 12, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Blonde" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th October 1848 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Billing migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mr. Archibald Billing, (b. 1821), British settler who sailed aboard the ship "Ida Zeigler" from London on 23rd May 1861 arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 21st August 1861 8
Mrs. Elizabeth Billing, (b. 1823), British settler who sailed aboard the ship "Ida Zeigler" from London on 23rd May 1861 arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 21st August 1861 9
Mr. William Billing, (b. 1845), British settler who sailed aboard the ship "Ida Zeigler" from London on 23rd May 1861 arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 21st August 1861 9
Mr. Joesph Billing, (b. 1847), British settler who sailed aboard the ship "Ida Zeigler" from London on 23rd May 1861 arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 21st August 1861 9
Mr. James Billing, (b. 1849), British settler who sailed aboard the ship "Ida Zeigler" from London on 23rd May 1861 arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 21st August 1861 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Billing Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Billing, who landed in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Amelia Thompson
Ellen Billing, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Surge" in 1855
Isaiah Billing, (b. 1852), aged 23, Cornish farm labourer departing on 5th October 1875 aboard the ship "Soukar" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th January 1877" 10
Miss Mary A. Billing, (b. 1861), aged 17, Cornish housemaid departing on 29th October 1878 aboard the ship "Western Monarch" going to Bluff or Otago, New Zealand arriving in port on 26th February 1879 11
Miss Mary Billing, (b. 1861), aged 17, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Billing (post 1700) +

Peter Graham Billing (b. 1964), English former footballer
Noel Pemberton Billing (1881-1948), English aviator, inventor, publisher, and Member of Parliament
Archibald Billing (1791-1881), Irish physician and writer on art, the son of Theodore Billing of Cromlyn, in the county of Dublin 13
Heinz Billing (1914-2017), German physicist and computer scientist
Johanna Billing (b. 1973), Swedish conceptual artist
Amanda Billing (b. 1976), New Zealand actress, best known for her role as Doctor Sarah Potts on the soap opera Shortland Street
Roy Billing, New Zealand television actor
Sir Richard Billing Dearlove KCMG OBE (b. 1945), Cornish head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 1999 until 6 May 2004

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TRAFALGAR 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Trafalgar.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
Private sent but details found and (Retrieved 8th October 2019). Retrieved from https://www.geni.com/projects/British-Ships-to-South-Africa-in-the-1800-s-Emily/38443
Private sent but details found and (Retrieved 9th November 2020). Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20091021193214/http:/www.geocities.com/foleynz/Idazeiglar.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 20 Jun. 2019