Capt. William Billings

Married Mary Atherton

https://www.americanancestors.org/uploadedfiles/media/the_register/...

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6823325

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 t he 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 li ne 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 w as not the daughter of Humphrey Atherton as some have indicated, William and Mary were married by Major Athart on. They are both buried in North Stonington Cemetery: '1713 Here lies the body of William Billing who died in t he 85th year of his age;' there is only a simple footstone for Mary, 'M.B.'"

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Birth: 1629, England Death: Mar. 16, 1713 Stonington New London County Connecticut, USA

William married Mary Atherton Feb. 12, 1657/8 in Dorchester, Ma. Their son Ebenezer is our ancestor.

       Burial: Old Plain Cemetery (Stonington)  Stonington New London County Connecticut, USA    Edit Virtual Cemetery info [?]    Created by: Sue Williams Record added: Oct 05, 2002  Find A Grave Memorial# 6823325   

He and Mary had 13 children: Margaret, William III, Ebenezer, Joseph, Mary, Abigail, Lydia, Mercy, Mary, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Prudence and Patience.

Their son Ebenezer is our ancestor.

   Family links:   Spouse:   Mary Atherton Weeks (1636 - 1692)    Children:   Margaret Claire Billings Fanning (1659 - 1715)*   Ebenezer Billings (1661 - 1727)*   Abigail Billings Randall (1667 - 1705)*   Lydia Billings Coye (1670 - 1747)*   Mary Billings Whiting (1675 - 1728)*   *Calculated relationship   Note: The marriage to Mary "Atherton" is not substantiated anywhere in the history records.  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6823325 -------------------- Born in England on 1630 to William Billing and Mary. William married Mary Atheton and had 12 children. He passed away on 16 Mar 1712 in Massachusetts, USA.

Sea captain who worked out of London; by 1654 original owner of land in Lancaster, MA; in 1668 a founder of Block Island, where his name is engraved on a monument., Land Proprietor, Captain