Papers of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Billson

920 BIL

Papers of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Billson

1868-1907

920 BIL/1. Letters addressed to Alfred Billson, 14 docs., 1868-1902, n.d.

920 BIL/2/2. Papers relating to the granting of precedence of a widow of a Knight Bachelor to Mrs. Billson, and one letter, 5 docs., 1881, 1907.

<p>Biographical notes on Alfred Billson appear in B.G. Orchard, Liverpool's Legion of Honour, 1893 and the Daily Post and Mercury, 10 July 1907.</p>

English

19 docs.

These papers were deposited, on loan, in this library by Mr. H. Billson, c/o Messrs. Frere, Chomley and Co., 28 Lincoln's Inn Field, London W.C 2., in February 1970.

Acc. 2193

Alfred Billson was born in Leicester in 1839 and came to Liverpool in 1861 when he joined Messrs. Jones and Madge, a firm of solicitors with whom he remained in practice for some 30 years until his retirement to Rowton Castle, Shropshire.

In 1862 he married Lilla, the daughter of the late Mr. J. Barnes of Leicester.

Alfred Billson became secretary of the South Lancashire Liberal Association in 1867 and in the following year he acted as election agent for W.E. Gladstone in the General Election of that year. In 1873 he became secretary of the Liverpool Liberal Federal Association.

In 1892 Billson entered Parliament as the member for Barnstaple and between 1895 and his death in 1907 he also represented Halifax (1897-1900) and North West Staffordshire (1906-1907). He also served as a magistrate in Liverpool for some 35 years.

In 1907 it was announced that a Knighthood was to be bestowed upon Alfred Billson, but he collapsed and died before receiving the honour. The precedence of a widow of a Knight Bachelor was granted to Lilla Billson by Royal Warrant.