Lawson Billinton

Lawson Butzkopfski (or Boskovsky) Billinton (4 February 1882 – 19 November 1954) was the Locomotive Engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from 1912 until the company became part of the Southern Railway in 1923. He joined the LBSCR in 1900 as an apprentice. By the end of 1907 he was a district locomotive superintendent at the railway works at New Cross. From February 1911 Billinton was locum tenens, or caretaker, for Locomotive Engineer D. E. (Earle) Marsh at Brighton works whilst Marsh was on leave of absence due to ill health. Earle Marsh resigned in July 1911. Billinton was promoted to Locomotive Engineer at the beginning of 1912.

In 1917 Billinton was commissioned as a temporary Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Engineers, and he served on military missions to Romania and Russia. He retired from the SR aged 40 in 1923, taking up fruit farming at Bolney in Sussex. Billinton died in 1954 at Lyme Regis in Dorset.

Lawson Billinton was born in Brighton, the third son of R. J. Billinton, who later became the LBSCR's Locomotive Engineer in 1890. His mother was of Polish origin and his middle name Butzkopfski (sometimes spelled Boskovsky) was her family name. He became a pupil of his father at Brighton works in January 1900. He was a fitter's apprentice from September 1900. In February 1903 he was promoted to draughtsman, and promoted again in September 1903 to inspector of materials. In September 1904 he became assistant foreman at New Cross. R. J. Billinton died in office in November 1904, and was succeeded as Locomotive Engineer by D. E. (Earle) Marsh.

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