Rupert Billingsley (born 1644, date of death unknown) was an English soldier who secured the garrison and town of

Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...

for William of Orange during the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

in 1688.

Biography

Billingsley was born in 1644 in

Astley Abbotts Astley Abbotts is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located immediately north of Bridgnorth, and straddling the B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley road. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 396. The Church ins ...

Parish registers of Astley Abbots Shropshire, to Francis Billingsley and Elizabeth Latham. His father was a major in the Royalist Army supporting King Charles I. His godfather was

Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...

. Manorial records give a descent from Wyllym (de Byllyngsleye) appointed King's Clerk of Gloucester by King

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

in 1306. (The first Billingsley to use the name of his birthplace as a Family name.) A plaque on the wall of St Calixtus Astley Abbotts commemorates the family of Major Francis Billingsley the son of Colonel Francis - he was killed leading the Royalist Forces in the defence of

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. History B ...

. A plaque on the wall of St Leonard's records that the Colonel was buried at St Calixtus. Eleanor the daughter of Edward Latham (also killed at Bridgnorth) married the Major having as family:- Sons were Francis, born 1640; Edward, born 1642 (- Col. will 11/567); Rupert, born 1644,(- Col. will 11/470); Lewis (Louis), born 1645 (Cap. will 11/468); Charles, born 1649 (?

Knight of the Royal Oak The Knights of the Royal Oak was an intended order of chivalry in England. It was proposed in 1660 at the time of the restoration of Charles II of England to be a reward for those Englishmen who had faithfully and actively supported Charles dur ...

). Their daughters were Margaret, born 1643 (Mort.); Bridget, born 1646; Eleanor, born 1650; Elizabeth, born 1653, and Dorothy, born 1655. The Register of St. Calixtus notes that at the baptism of Francis in 1640 three generations of Francis - Major, Colonel and Sir were present. I will not confirm that this Rupert was the god-son of Prince Rupert. There were many other candidates. Several other branches were known to the Prince including that of Alfred Billingsley (The Finest Horseman in England.) The Prince's tutor.

References

Church plaques Bridgnorth & Astley Abbots. Church record's St Calixtus. Manorial Records Shropshire Archives. Manorial Grants to Irish Officers. Canterbury wills. State records 1306 - 7. Kew. 1644 births Year of death unknown Military personnel from Shropshire 1688 in military history Berwick-upon-Tweed {{England-mil-bio-stub