Billingley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Billingley
Billingley shown within South Yorkshire
Metropolitan borough	Barnsley
Metropolitan county	South Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BARNSLEY
Postcode district	S72
Dialling code	01709
Police	South Yorkshire
Fire	South Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
European Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Barnsley East and Mexborough
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Coordinates: 53°32′N 1°21′W / 53.53, -1.35

Billingley is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, about seven miles east of Barnsley. According to the 2006 census it had a population of 178, up from 177 five years ago. There has been no small controversy around this new number; attempts to identify the new resident so far have failed, and there has been some speculation that his or her existence is in fact a hoax.

Billingley was founded in the late 15th century by a small number of Dutch cattle farmers who lived on the surrounding land. Notable among them were Leeuwen and Gerte Van Halen, of whom rock legend Eddie Van Halen is a direct descendant. The village served as a place to meet and trade farm produce, as well as exchange news and stock market tips.

Tragedy struck, however, in the aftermath of the Dutch Tulip Bubble, in which many of Billingley's wealthy speculators blamed their heavy losses on their Dutch neighbours, by now a minority in the thriving village. Among the victims of the ensuing violence were the by then long deceased Van Halens, who were unceremoniously dug up from Billingley cemetery and thrown into a peat bog. Eddie has never spoken publicly about his feelings regarding this incident, but many interpret the signature Van Halen tune Jump as an angry response to the treatment of his ancestors.