BILLINGTON, ELIZABETH (c. 1768-1818), British opera-singer, was born in London, her father being a German musician named Weichsel, and her mother a popular singer. She was a precocious child, and received a solid musical training from her father. Before she was twelve she had published two volumes of pianoforte sonatas. In 1783 she contracted an unfortunate secret marriage with James Billington, a double-bass player in the Drury lane orchestra. With him she went to Dublin where she made her first stage appearance as Eurydice. In London she made a sensation (Feb. 13, 1786) in the part of Rosetta in Arne's Love in a Village. She then went to Paris to study under Sacchini, and throughout her career was a serious student. In 1794 she and her husband went to Italy, and Mrs. Billington appeared at Naples in a new opera, Inez di Castro, written for her by F. Bianchi, and then at Florence, at Venice and at Milan. Her husband died sud denly during the tour, and in 1799 she married a Frenchman named Felissent. The second marriage was even more unfortunate than her first. Felissent ill-treated her, and she left him in 18o 1. In 1817, however, she returned to him, and died the next year, on Aug. 25, at St. Artien, near Venice. According to some accounts her death was caused by a blow received from her husband. Mrs. Billington sang regularly at Covent garden and Drury lane from 18O1 to 181o. Accounts vary of the quality of her voice and of her acting, but there is unanimous testimony to the finished char acter of her art. There are many portraits and engravings of her, including Sir Joshua Reynolds's picture of her as St. Cecilia.