Sir William Edmdund Heygate Colborne Butlin, Was Born In South Africa On September 29th 1889.

His Father Was The Son Of An English Clergyman, His Mother Came From An English Family Of Travelling Fairground Showmen.

His Family Came To England In 1911. Shortly Afterwards, The Parents Emigrated To Canada & Bill Was Boarded Out In Bedminster Near Bristol.

In 1912, He Went To Canada & Started Work At The Age Of 13 With A Wastepaper Firm At A Wage Of Three Dollars A Week, His Next Job Was With

A Big Toronto Store, Eatons. On The Outbreak Of World War I He Joined The Canadian Army At The Ace Of 15 & Was Sent To France A Year Later.

After The Armistice, He Returned To Canada & A New Job In The Toronto Store, Where He Had Worked Previously. At 21, He Decided To Live

In England & Worked His Passage Back By Cleaning The Ship's Cattle Stalls. He Arrived In Liverpool On February The 17th 1921, Possessing Only

The Five Pounds He Earned Cleaning The Stalls. He Then Walked 180 Miles From Liverpool To Bristol To Join His Mother's Family At The Fun Fair.

He Enlivened His Hoopla Stall By Painting It In Blue & Yellow And Embroidered A Large 'B' For Butlin On The Breast Pocket Of His White Coat.

This Was To Remain His Trademark When He Opened Hie First Holiday Camp At Skegness Is Years Later.

The Holiday Camp Enterprise Stemmed From His Idea That Indoor Entertainment Should Be Available To Beat The Bad Weather,

It Was Spectacularly Successful & Subsequently He Opened Similar Centres In Other Parts Of England, As Well As Scotland, Ireland & Wales.

Sir Billy Became Britain's Acknowledged Holiday Camp King. Through His Camps He Gave Pleasure To Millions, Including Tens Of

Thousands Of Children. The Handicapped & The Elderly Were Given Free Holidays. He Was The Most Remarkable Humanitarian

And Benefactor Of His Time. His Services To The Nation In Making Holidays Available To The Masses & His Contributions To Charity

Earned Him Official Recognition When He Was Awarded A Knighthood In The Queen's Birthday Honours In June 1964.

Following A Long Association With The Channel Islands, Sir Billy Came To Have A Deep Affection For Jersey And The Islanders.

He Made Jersey His Home For The Last 12 Years Of His Life And Died On The 12th June 1980, In The Island He Had Come To Love So Well.

He Was Never Too Tall To Stoop To Help The Underprivileged.

 

 

 

In Ever Lasting Memory

Of A Dear Husband And Father

Captain William Edmund Butlin

Born 25th May 1960 - Died 10th June 2003

Always In Our Thoughts

Forever In Our Hearts Your Loving Wife Jane

Children Oliver, Hugo and Sacha

R.I.P.