The Billingsley Family Line
Pedigree of the Billingsleys of Hallon Astley. From the archives of Stanley Hall (Hallon Astley)
The information contained in this website relates to many years of research conducted by my father John Edwin Binsley (Billingsley).
It is drawn primarily from three sources, the National Archives, the Shropshire Archives and the document pictured above which is from the archives of Stanley Hall (Astley Abbots). As any researcher of this period of history will know, there is a scarcity of primary source documents, and those that do exist may be incomplete or use language and spelling that are unfamiliar and inconsistent. Previous research into the Billingsley line has made various assumptions on lineage, some of which are challenged here. This does not claim to be the official record, rather an amalgamation of various sources which we believe represents as close to accuracy as possible. If you have any supplementary or conflicting evidence, please get in contact, we would be happy to include it.
Byllyngsleye - the first generations.
The first recorded use of the name of the village in Salop as a family name is found in “The State Papers of 1306 “with the appointment by King Edward I of a priest Wyllym de Byllyngsleye as the King’s Clerke for the County of Gloucester. This appointment was confirmed the following year by Edward II. { Dates would suggest that he was the son of the King’s Clerk.}
A summary of the surviving manoral records of Salop begin with :
1. Wyllym de BYLLYNGSLEYE became possessed of an estate at Hallon. 35 yr. Ed. III (1362)
died there 14yr. Henry IV. (1381) 3 nooks of land fell to his son John.
1.1 John BYLLYNGSLEYE married Matilda de WYKE (Wick) and died c 16yr. Henry VI (1437).
( = John, Richard)
1.1.1 John BYLLINGSLEY living 39yr. Henry VII. In 23yr.Hy. VII (1480) he transf. 3 nooks
Hallon to the use of his son Roger BILLINGSLEY and 7 nooks there to the use of
Stephen BYLLINGSLEY his son. Margaret living with her husband at Wyken 39yr. of
Henry IV. (1406) He died about. (1505)
( = Stephen, Roger )
Roger passed his shares of Hallon to Stephen, which resulted in the major division of the family into two lines.
The two lines
Stephen
1.1.1. 1 Stephen BYLLYNGSLEY 2yr, Henry VIII. transferred1 messe 1 nook of land in
Hallon to the use of his son Richard and Joan his wife and died about that time. His
Wife Alice 22yr. Edward IV. (1483) living with her husband at Stapleford.
( = Richard )
Roger
1.1.1. 2 Roger BYLLYNGSLEY in 23y Henry (1514) he held a messe / nook o 6a. in Hallon which he surrendered to his brother Stephen.
( = Roger. Will. )