Updated February 2009

My thanks to everyone who has helped with extra information names listed below.

Craig Hadley for helping and supplying 1881 census information.

Charles and Angela Purcell for helping on the National Burials.

Gary and Lisa Billingham for their help on Billingham marriages and the Earl of Dudleys rent books.

Roy Billingham, Jane Billingham, Adrian Billingham, Steve Edwards, Eric Billingham, Mags and Mike Adams, David Marsden, John and Denise Marschall, David William Carr, Glen Billingham, Jim Billingham, Velda Hampton, Kenneth Billingham, Anthony Billingham Jackie Billingham, Terri Ann Patch and anyone I have forgot to mention.

If you already have a family tree and would like it put on this website please Email

If you have no success finding the name you are looking for try our message board leave a message someone out there has the answer

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If you have an interest in the working condition of the people of the Black country then click the link on left for Wesley Perrin MBE. He was a gentleman and a historian the page has some observations of trades about the area of Lye and Wollescote. The next link takes you to the page about Frederick Allen describing his life as a chainmaker. The next link takes you to The Conditions the Cradley Chainmakers lived in Circa 1890. The speech below also gives us some idea about the life and times of the period.

The Royal Commission Factory and Workshop Act 1883. Cradley Chainmakers Soceity Chairman Benjamin Billinghams Reply to the Walsall Chainmakers.

Although it had been generally common for girls of the Old Hill district
to enter the chain-making trade and remain in it as adults, at the time of the
Royal Commission's inquiry into the Factory and Workshops Act in 1876
the employment of women became a major issue. At this time, the Walsall
Chainmakers' Association pointed to the evil of the subcontracting system,
predominant in the district, which took advantage of the workers by
cwith them individually, thus forcing "men to work at the same
low rate as women and children". As a result, their representative argued
before the Commission, "the incentive to good workmanship is being
crushed out by excessive competition, and thus, through the instrumentality
of women and children, the markets are glutted with cheap but very inferior
work". Those men who married women in the chain-making trade were
singled out as a particular source of am Walsall. They
apparently either depended on their wives for the family's maintenance or,
after a regular day's work in mining or puddling, then worked at
chain-making in the evening, further saturating the market. Citing such
conditions, the Association concluded:
that the employment of women and children in such a trade as that of
chain-making, is unjust to legitimate workmen; that it tends to
demoralise the women engaged in it, and is a gross outrage on the
enth century.
The Walsall Association thus declared their intention to put a stop to female
labour but, recognising its long-standing place in the industry, "with a view
of assisting the female chainmakers ­ if such a thing must be ­ to better
their social position".
The Walsall men continued the agitation to restrict female labour,
supporting a Bill presented in 1883 to prohibit employment of girls under
14 in iron works and at forges. Withue of
competition between men and women gave way to the conflicting interests
of men employed in the different sectors of the industry. Benjamin
Billingham, chairman of the Cradley Heath Chainmakers' Society, voiced the
objection that such a restriction would serve to eliminate women and girls
altogether from the trade as the Walsall men, he believed, intended. Such a
development, he and his Society feared, would bring about the ruin of the
small chain tra thus dependent on
that of women in the trade, the men of Cradley Heath defended the
employment of women and reacted with "disapprobation" when a deputation
of chainmakers from Newcastle voiced their disgust with them for allowing
their wives to be so employed."For his own part", Billingham declared,
"he did not think there was any class of women more respectable, more
decent, and more healthy than those in the chain trade&re able to encourage such sentiments
for their own purposes, harnessing the support of the local Justice of the
Peace and vicar to rally opposition to the limited Bill being put forward.

Although it had been generally common for girls of the Old Hill district
to enter the chain-making trade and remain in it as adults, at the time of the
Royal Commission's inquiry into the Factory and Workshops Act in 1876
the employment of women became a' Association pointed to the evil of the subcontracting system,
predominant in the district, which took advantage of the workers by
contracting with them individually, thus forcing "men to work at the same
low rate as women and children". As a result, their representative argued
before the Commission, "the incentive to good workmanship is being
crushed out by excessive competition, and thus, through the instrumentality
of inferior
work". Those men who married women in the chain-making trade were
singled out as a particular source of anger for the men from Walsall. They
apparently either depended on their wives for the family's maintenance or,
after a regular day's work in mining or puddling, then worked at
chain-making in the evening, further saturating the market. Citing such
conditions, the Association concluded:
that the employm, is unjust to legitimate workmen; that it tends to
demoralise the women engaged in it, and is a gross outrage on the
civilization of the nineteenth century.
The Walsall Association thus declared their intention to put a stop to female
labour but, recognising its long-standing place in the industry, "with a view
of assisting the female chainmakers ­ if such a thing must be ­ to better
their social position". supporting a Bill presented in 1883 to prohibit employment of girls under
14 in iron works and at forges. With this initiative, however, the issue of
competition between men and women gave way to the conflicting interests
of men employed in the different sectors of the industry. Benjamin
Billingham, chairman of the Cradley Heath Chainmakers' Society, voiced the
objection that such a restriction would serve to eliminaended. Such a
development, he and his Society feared, would bring about the ruin of the
small chain trade in the area. Seeing their own work thus dependent on
that of women in the trade, the men of Cradley Heath defended the
employment of women and reacted with "disapprobation" when a deputation
of chainmakers from Newcastle voiced their disgust with them for allowing
their wives to be so employed as any class of women more respectable, more
decent, and more healthy than those in the chain trade".
Clearly employers in the area were able to encourage such sentiments
for their own purposes, harnessing the support of the local Justice of the
Peace and vicar to rally opposition to the limited Bill being put forward.

Emmanual Billingham born 1750 first married Sarah Davies then married Agnes Smith. I have a direct line back to Emmanual and Agnes Billingham. Adrian Billingham has a direct line back to Emmanual and Sarah Billingham. Kenneth Billingham has a direct line back to Emmanual and Agnes Billingham. David William Carr can trace his line back to Emmanual and Sarah Billingham. If we could find the connection between Lot and Emmanual I think we would be able to link most of the Billinghams together it is my belief that if your Billingham ancester came from the Black Country around the 1700s then we will be all related.

Billingham Links Page