William Billing 1679 – 1791 (born under a hedge in Fawfieldhead)
Newspaper and Parish Records
Wm Billing’s Death
Taken from the Derby Mercury, dated Feb. 3, 1791
On Friday last, died at Fawfieldhead, near Longnor, in Staffordshire, Wm. Billing, soldier, at the great age of 112; and, what is further worthy of remark, this old veteran travelled through this extensive stretch of time without ever experiencing what a fit of sickness was, and at the last expired without either qualm or groan. General Cadogan, who died a few years since, was one of the last of Queen Ann’s officers that survived the great Marlboro’, and Billing the last private in England that served under that great commander. Billing’s birth and death were equally extraordinary; he was born under a hedge in the year 1679, not a hundred yards from the cottage where he died. Billing being born with a spirit of enterprise, and not liking a country life, left his service in the year 1702, and enlisted into a regiment then lying at Derby. In the year 1704, he was with Sir George Rook at the siege of Gibraltar, defended at that time by that gallant officer the Marquis de Salines; after the reduction of the fortress, which was severely bombarded for two successive days, he was sent into Germany, and served in Flanders under the Duke of Marlboro’, and Prince Eugene, of Savoy, and was present at the ever memorable battle of Ramilles, which was fought on Whit Sunday, the 23rd of May, 1706, and in this battle Billing had the honour of being amongst the foremost of those few gallant soldiers who had an opportunity offered them of rendering their great commander a very essential service, by rescuing him from the most imminent danger; indeed, had it not been for this handful of brave men stepping in so opportunely, his Grace must inevitably have been killed or taken prisoner, for, being thrown off his horse as he was leaping a ditch, the Marshal Villeroy (who both admired and dreaded the English general,) was immediately informed of the duke’s disaster by one of his Aides-de-damp. Orders were instantly given for some choice troops to hasten to the spot where the accident had happened, and they were to bring the duke dead or alive! Billing, however, and his comrades, who had just time enough to throw themselves betwixt their commander and these sabred missionaries, played their parts so well that they scarce left one alive to carry the news to the Marshal
Villeroy. In this bloody conflict, however, Billing was severely handled; a musket-ball lodged in the thick part of his thigh, and in such a part as rendered any
attempt to extract it quite impracticable, and in this situation the ball remained near thirty years, when it made its way down the thigh and came out at the ham. This French cherry, as he always called the bullet, he carefully preserved to the day of his death. The latter end of June, the same year, Billing was so well recovered from his wound as to be able to assist in opening the trenches at the siege of Ostend, which place surrendered to the Confederates on the 6th July following. The conquest of this place opened such a new scene of delight to Billing, that, as he himself hath often declared, he never thought more of past danger, and that conquest and glory ought to be the only aim of a soldier; he began to think the more towns they sacked the more fair captures would fall to his lot. On the 4th of August, Billing was again employed at the opening of the trench before Mennin, this is one of the best fortifications in all Flanders, being constructed under the immediate direction of that eminent engineer, Mensieur, who put his ingenuity to the stretch to render this fort impregnable, which surrendered the 22nd of the same month after a very bloody and obstinate resistance. Billing afterwards assisted at the sieges of Lisle Tourney, Mons, Bethuni, Aris, St Venance, and Bouchain; and, what is still more extraordinary, came off without either the loss of life or limb. In the year 1712 he returned to England, and was employed against the rebels in 1715 and 1745, so that Billing was one amongst the number of those brave fellows who assisted in putting the last hand to the extirpation of the Stuart race.
Billing was buried at Longnor, on Sunday last, and Mr. Wm. Johnson, of that place, with some of his neighbours, much to their honour, out of respect to British valour, attended him to the grave. The same persons have agreed to purchase him a head stone, upon which they mean to have engraved the following couplet, after his name, age, and place of abode, &c., are inserted:-
“Billited by death,
I quartered here remain,
And when the trumpet sounds,
I’ll rise and march again.”
Extract from the Parish Records
"30th January 1791: Wm Billing was
buried at this Church on Sunday the 30th
January 1791 aged 112. He qualified
into the service of his Country under Sir
George Book at the taking of the
Fortress of Gibraltar in 1704. He
afterwards served under the Duke of
Marlbrough and Prince Eugene of Savoy at
the ever memorable Battle of the
Ramillies, faught on the 23rd of May 1706
where he was wounded by a musket shot
in the Thigh"