1628 WILLIAM BILLERS, (Haberdasher).

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Fifth son of George Billers of Birstall, co. Leic., gent., where he was baptized 27 June 1582 ; settled at Leic. after completing his apprenticeship, was admitted a freeman in 1605, elected a chamberlain 1612, an alder~ man 1619, churchwarden of St. Martin's 1613~15 and a coroner in 1625. He joined with the leading tradesmen of Leic. in signing the memorial for the Sunday closing of shops in 1606. He married at St. Martin's 25 August 1605 Alice, daughter of his late master, Wm. Ward, mercer, by whom he had a family of eleven children. A gentleman of a charitable disposition, he was again honoured with the mayoralty in 1644 and 1652, his second year of office being marred with the disturbing  Siege and capture of the town by the Royalists in May 1645.

AId. Wm. Billers was buried in St. Mary's church 12 October 1658, aged 76. M.I. there. (See illustration, p. 58) Will, dated 10 April 1657, was proved in the P.C.C., London, 15 December 1658. His nephew, Julius Billers, was mayor of Coventry in 1657, the latter being father of Sir Wm. Billers, lord mayor of London 1733~4.

The Billers family entered their Pedigree at the Visitation of the county in 1682~3 and recorded their Arms :-Per pale gules and sable, a lion rampant argent. Crest :-A demi~eagle wings displayed argent. Plate 3.

1644   WILLIAM BILLERS. (2)

During his second mayoralty, 31 May 1645, King Charles I accompanied by his nephew, Prince Rupert, and with a strong force of royalist troops, laid siege and took possession of the town after stubborn resistance. Several hundred of the Parliamentary garrison and royalist troops and many inhabitants were slain. (See Hollings' Leicester during the Civil War).

1652   WILLIAM BILLERS. (3)