Constituency : Shipley 1892-5 , Salford North 1906-17
William took over from Joseph Craven at Shipley, narrowly beating a Liberal Unionist. Some sources describe William as a Lib-Lab candidate but this seems unlikely.
William was the son of the proprietor of the Yorkshire Observer. He was a Nonconformist.
William was defeated by the liberal Unionists in 1895.
In 1900 William stood for Leeds East as a Labour candidate due to his opposition to the Boer War. He became reconciled to the Liberals but struggled to find a constituency for want of money.
In 1906 William returned for Salford North. Almost immediately he moved to censure Milnr for ordering the flogging of Chinese labourers.
William was pro-female suffrage and the appointment of policewomen.
In 1908 William spoke in support of the Public Meeting Bill which sought to make an offence of trying to stop the business of a public meeting by disruption. He saw it as preserving free speech and free expression.
William was knighted in 1911.
William maintained a pacifist stance during World War One and supported a hunger striking conscientious objector Emanuel Ribiero.
He died in 1917 aged 78.
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