Thomas Billington

Thomas Billington was born into a long line of farmers, in and around the area of Weaverham, Dutton, Frodsham and Daresbury. He was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Billington nee Barnes, and was born in Dutton on 19th December 1888.

The family came to Village Farm in Daresbury sometime in the mid 1890 s, and when the 1911 census was taken, Thomas, aged 22, was working on the family farm, alongside his father and their Irish farm workers. His two older sisters, Constance and Eleanor were working in the dairy.

He was recorded as an absent voter on the register of 1919, serving in Agricultural Company 421 as a Private, with the regimental number 77029.

After the war he returned to farming in Daresbury. In 1920 he married Marion Rigby at All Saints’ church. Marion was born in Frodsham, a farmer’s daughter whose parents were called Thomas and Kate Rigby, nee Billington. In 1939, Thomas, Marion and their two daughters, Edna and Marion, were registered at Newton Bank Farm, with his uncle, who was also called Thomas Billington. He was described as a farm manager.

Thomas died in December 1970, just short of his 82nd birthday, and Marion died the following year.