William was born in Somerset in 1828, one of generations going back to 1722 and beyond skilled with woodcarving and model making. He was a great inventor, engineer and designer, and adventurous, too. He migrated to New Zealand in 1858, and then to Melbourne in 1885, his family then 10 strong.
To this day William's male descendants are all skilled craftsmen in joinery and engineering. This gene has been passed down through each generation and continues today.