James Billington (executioner)
James Billington was a hangman for the British government from 1884 until 1901. He is the patriarch of the Billington family. Billington died at home from bronchitis in the early hours ofDecember 1901, one month after having executed Patrick McKenna, a man he knew well.
Billington was born in Preston, Lancashire, the son of James, a labourer from Preston, and Mary Haslam of Bolton. In 1859 he moved with his family to Farnworth, northwest of Manchester.
Source: Wikipedia