Billington (Y-DNA)

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Revision as of 11:05, 7 December 2020 by Wing genealogist (Talk | contribs) (Next Generation Sequence/Whole Genome Sequence testing)

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Status summary

As of September 14, 2020:

  • Recruiting Billington Y-DNA descendants for NGS/WGS testing. Interested parties can contact Raymond Wing, email: wing(DOT)genealogist(AT)gmail(DOT)com


Paper trail

First Generation

John Billington was born circa 1580 in England.[1] His life in England is basically unknown. He had a wife Elinor/Ellen and two sons. The Billingtons were not part of the Separatist Congregation in Leiden, but were apparently recruited in England. The family was often in trouble with the authorities in Plymouth and the senior John Billington was hanged for murder in September 1630 and the widow married in Sep 1638 to Gregory Armstrong.

Children: John & Elinor had two sons. The older son John had died before his father (apparently never married) so all of the descendants are from the younger son, Francis.

Second Generation

Francis Billington deposed on 10 Jul 1674 that he was "68 years of age"[2] so he was born about 1606, possibly in Lincolnshire, England. He married in Plymouth in Jul 1634 Christian PENN Eaton, the widow of Mayflower passenger Francis Eaton. They resided in Plymouth for most of their married lives, but late in life they moved to Middleboro, where they both died.

Children: Francis and Christian had Nine children (one infant [sex unknown] who died young, six daughters and two sons [Joseph and Isaac]

Third Generation

Joseph Billington was born in Plymouth on 2 Feb 1636. He married a wife named Grace at New Shorham, RI on 26 Sep 1672. Joseph died at Block Island, RI on 7 Jan 1684. Joseph and Grace had two sons, Francis and Elisha.

Isaac Billington was born in Plymouth in 1644. He married Hannah Glass about 1674. They had six children (four daughters and sons Seth & Isaac).


  1. There are some indications where he may have been from Lincolnshire, especially after his marriage.
  2. MD 2:46, citing PCR 1:81"

DNA Results R1b-Z8

Previous testing

The Mayflower DNA Project lists two all male line descendants of John Billington. Neither of these individuals have done any SNP testing. One individual has tested 67 Y-STRs. FTDNA has only predicted where the family falls under the R-M269 Haplogroup. Plugging in the 67 Y-STRs in the Nevgen Y-DNA Haplogroup Predictor gives a prediction falling somewhere below R1b-U106>>Z381>>L48>>Z8.

Next Generation Sequence/Whole Genome Sequence testing

NGS/WGS testing of direct male-line descendants would further refine the haplogroup assignment for this family. As of December 7, 2020 one Big Y-700 test is pending for the Billington family.

Related Families

The following families married daughters of John Billington.

Samuel Sabin married Mary Billington

Joseph Rickard married Rebecca Billington

Edward May married Dorcas Billington

John Martin married Mercy Billington

Richard Bullock was the first husband of Elizabeth Billington

Robert Beere was the second husband of Elizabeth Billington[1]


  1. Elizabeth had a third husband, Thomas Patey, but no children by this last marriage.

References and External Resources

  • Hodge, Harriet Woodbury (rev. 2001 by Robert S. Wakefield) (rev. 2014 by John Bradley Arthaud), Mayflower Families through Five Generations. Vol. 21, Billington General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA 2nd Ed. 2014
  • Arthaud, John Bradley, Mayflower Families through Five Generations vol. 21 [Billington], part 3. General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA, 2018
  • Roser, Susan E., Mayflower Passenger References, (from contemporary records & scholarly journals) [www.stewartbooks.com Stewart Publishing & Printing], Canada. Second edition 2015