William was the son of unknown parents. The date and place of his birth have not been found.
His wife was Mary Jane McCreath, who he married in 1890. The place has not been found. Their seven known children were William (Bill) (?-?), Eric (?-?), John (Jack) (?-?), Frank (?-?), Ruth (?-?), Leah (?-?) and Lorna (?-?).