Born in Yorkshire in 1764, dwarf jockey Billy - as he was always known - weighed just 3 stone 7 pounds.
Billy’s father was a native of Great Smeaton, near Northallerton, and was one of the heroes who accompanied the Duke of Cumberland to the field at Culloden and who lived to be ninety. He left Yorkshire for Newcastle-upon-Tyne and became ostler at the Turk’s Head in the Bigg Market, at that time the leading posting house in the town.
The diminutive Billy was often called upon to play ‘Tom Thumb’ and other parts in the little playhouse situated behind the Turk’s Head.
Like most Yorkshire-bred folk, he loved horses and was able to obtain some knowledge of the ‘knee-grip’ and of riding, from the post lads and their horses which he rode to water and on every other available opportunity.
Lady Mary Carr, sister of the sporting Earl of Darlington, often came to the Turk’s Head: on seeing William, she took quite a fancy to him and being in want of a postilion took him back with her to her residence near Chester-le-Street, where he soon donned the silk blouse and livery of his mistress, and rode for twelve months before his mistress’s carriage.
Two sporting gentleman agreed on a match: the two horses were to run over Brass-side Moor near Durham. Billy was engaged to ride for one of the gentleman and he won the match. Immediately his thoughts turned to the silks of the turf rather than those of the postilion and, in 1776, aged 12, sought and found work with the successful Malton trainer, George Searle
This proved to a short-term arrangement: he left to work for Mr Maudesley of Thornton, near Pickering. Again he grew restless, and he left Thornton for John Lowther’s Stables near Leeds, where he remained for some years. Ben Smith also rode there at this time.
Billy invested in a house and stables (Bell Isle) near Richmond, and set to work developing both.
His became one of the leading stables in the north, patronised by Mr Mellish, Lord Darlington, Sir William Gerard, and Mr Lambton (afterwards Lord Durham}.
He raced several oh his own horses including Crab, Swiss, King Catton, Sarah and Elizabeth, whose dam was a present to him from Sir William Gerard.
Billy won three races at the 1803 York Autumn Meeting on Lord Darlington’s great stayer, the six-year-old Haphazard who, at 1-3, beat Mr Garforth’s grey mare Marcia by ‘half a head’ in a four-mile stakes race on the Wednesday. This was after winning races of a similar distance on the same horse on the previous Saturday and Monday. At the same meeting he won twice for Lord Darlington on Agonistes and twice for Mr Mellish on Stockton. He also scored on Zodiac.
Corduroy, a two-year-old bay colt by Shuttle out of Lady Sarah, ran in Billy’s name when winning a thirty guinea sweepstake at the York Spring Meeting. That was its only appearance that season.
Billy’s solitary St Leger was gained on Mr Clifton’s bay colt Ninety-three, by Florizel, who started at 15-1.
Though he never won the Derby, he had a couple of near-misses. Riding The Dandy, he came second in 1810 to Whalebone: five years later, riding Busto, Billy made all the running to within 200 yards of home before being narrowly collared by Whisker and Raphael. In 1818, Billy had the ride on Raby, a grey colt by Sorcerer which started at 50-1. He was beaten by the Sam Chifney-ridden Sam, owned by Mr Thornhill.
Billy won the 1810 Oaks riding Oriana for Sir William Gerard, and finished third on the same filly in Octavian’s St Leger
Billy trained as well as rode: in 1812 he sent out Mr Hewett’s bay filly Manuella to contest the Derby. At 7-2, she was well fancied, but ridden by Sam Chifney, but ran unplaced to Octavius. The next day (Friday) Billy saddled her up for the Oaks, electing to ride her himself. Friendless in the market at 20-1 after her previous day’s dismal performance, she nonetheless belied her odds with an easy victory over the 11-10 favourite, Elizabeth.
Convinced she would win, Billy had £100 on her, winning £2,000.
She was made favourite for the St Leger but again disappointed.
When Soothsayer won the 1811 St Leger under Bill Smith, Billy was the runner-up on Amadis de Gaul, by Hambletonian out of Lady Sarah.
Billy’s last ride came at the now-defunct Richmond racecourse when he rode Colonel Craddock’s Sir Walter to finish second on 6 October 1819.
He amassed a considerable fortune both as a jockey and a trainer before retiring from the saddle in 1819.
He died twenty years later: a sufferer from gout, he was in the habit of taking a diluted tincture of colchicum and, his supply having run out, he sent his little granddaughter to his doctor. The doctor was out, and his assistant sent some some undiluted by error. Billy took his usual dose, resulting in violent inflammation of the bowels which proved fatal.
He died at Belle Isle, Richmond, Yorkshire, on May 3rd , 1839 aged 74.