The British Musical Biography

[E] Billington, Elizabeth, born Weichsel,
soprano vocalist, born in Soho, London, about
1768. She studied under her father, who was
a German, and Schroeter, from an early age.
In 1782 she sang at Oxford, and in October,
1783 she was married to James Billington, a
double-bass player of Drury Lane Theatre.
She appeared on the stage at Dublin in 178.3,
and sang in different parts of Ireland till 1786.
She sang in "Love in a Village" at London,
February 13, 1786. Afterwards, she went to
Paris, but in 1787 she returned to London.
Owing, in part, to anonymous attacks on her
character, she went to Italy with her husband
in 1794, and appeared in various cities with
much success, In 1799 she married a French-
man named Felissent (Billington having died
in 1794), but left him, owing to his ill-treat-
ment, and returned to London in 1801, when
she appeared at Covent Garden, King's Thea-
tre, etc. In 1811 she retired, and in 1817 she
was reconciled to her husband. She died at
St. Artein, August 25, 1818. Full details of her
career will be found in Hogarth's " Memoirs
of the Musical Drama," and in " Memoirs of
Mrs. Billington from her birth ; containing a
a variety of matter, ludicrous, theatrical,
musical, and with copies of several original
letters written by Mrs. Billington to her
mother," London, 1792. A suppressed book,
to which she replied in " An Answer to the
Memoirs of Mrs. Billington," 1792.

entry id: 46-L-63