William, Willie, Bill or Billy Watson may refer to:

Arts

William Watson (songwriter) William Watson (1796–1840) was a Tyneside concert hall singer and songwriter in the early 19th century. His most famous song is "When the Boat Comes In (song), Dance To Thy Daddy". Early life ‘'’William Watson'’’ was born in 1796. He ...

(1794–1840), English concert hall singer and songwriter *

William Watson (poet) Sir William Watson (2 August 185811 August 1935) was an English poet, popular in his time for the celebratory content, and famous for the controversial political content, of his verse. Initially popularly recognised, he was then neglected becaus ...

(1858–1935), English poet * William J. Watson (author) (1865-1948), Scottish toponymist * Billy Watson (actor) (1923–2022), American actor * William Watson (writer) (1930–2005), also known as Bill Watson, Scottish writer * William C. Watson (1938–1997), American actor * Willie Watson (musician) (born 1979), American folk musician

Military

William H. Watson Lieutenant Colonel William H. Watson (1808 – September 22, 1846) commanded the Battalion of Baltimore and District of Columbia Volunteers in the Mexican–American War. Prior to that, he had been a captain in the "Independent Blues" Company of ...

(1815–1846), Mexican–American War soldier from Maryland, U.S. * William Watson (sergeant) (1826–1906), in the Confederate States Army * William Watson (surgeon) (1837–1879), in Pennsylvania Volunteers during the American Civil War *

William Thornton Watson William Thornton Watson, DSO, MC, DCM (10 November 1887 – 9 September 1961) was a New Zealander who served as an officer in the Australian Imperial Force in both World Wars. Prior to and after the First World War he had a distinguished rugb ...

(1887–1961), New Zealand officer in the Australian Imperial Force * William E. Watson, military historian

Politics

William Watson (16th century MP) William Watson was one of two Members of the Parliament of England for the constituency of York in 1553, between 1562 and 1571 and then again in another session in 1571. Life and politics William was born in 1513. He was the brother-in-law ...

, MP for the City of York *

William Henry Watson Sir William Henry Watson QC (1 July 1796 – 13 March 1860), was a British politician and judge. Life Early life Watson was born at Nottingham, the son of John Watson, captain in the 76th Foot, by Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Grey of Bamburg ...

(1796–1860), British politician and judge * William Watson (New South Wales politician) (1815–1877), Australian politician * William John Watson (1839–1886), Australian politician * William T. Watson (1849–1917), American banker and governor of Delaware * William W. Watson Sr., 19th century North Carolina politician *

William Watson (Australian politician) William Watson (22 October 1864 – 21 December 1938) was an Australian businessman and politician. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Fremantle as an independent from 1922 to 1928 and as a member of t ...

(1864–1938), Australian politician * William McLean Watson (1874–1962), Scottish politician *

W. Marvin Watson William Marvin Watson (June 6, 1924 – November 26, 2017) was an advisor to U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson and was Postmaster General from April 26, 1968, to January 20, 1969. Life and career Watson was born in Oakhurst, Texas. He received ...

(1924–2017), U.S. Postmaster General * William Watson, mayor of Rockford, Illinois, U.S., 1878–79

Science

William Watson (scientist) Sir William Watson, FRS (3 April 1715 – 10 May 1787) was a British physician and scientist who was born and died in London. His early work was in botany, and he helped to introduce the work of Carl Linnaeus into England. He became a Fello ...

(1715–1787), English physician and scientist * William Watson (physician) (1744–1824), English physician and naturalist * William Watson (surveyor and scientist) (1784–1857), cartographer and sundial-maker from

Seaton Ross Seaton Ross is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately west of the market town of Market Weighton and north-west of the village of Holme-on-Spalding-Moor. I ...

* William Livingstone Watson (1835–1903), Scottish East India merchant and astronomer *

Watson Cheyne Rear admiral Sir William Watson Cheyne, 1st Baronet, (14 December 1852 – 19 April 1932) was a Scottish surgeon and bacteriologist who pioneered the use of antiseptic surgical methods in the United Kingdom. Early life and education Cheyne was ...

or Sir William Watson (1852–1932), 1st Baronet Cheyne, Scottish surgeon and bacteriologist *

William Watson (botanist) William Watson (1858–1925) was a British botanist and horticulturist. He was a gardener at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 1879, Assistant Curator 1886–1901 and Curator 1901–1922. Watson was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal in 1892 and ...

(1858–1925), British botanist and horticulturalist *

William Watson (physicist, born 1868) William Watson CMG, FRS (4 August 1868 – 3 March 1919) was a British physicist and Lieutenant-Colonel in World War I. After education at King's College School, Watson studied under Arthur William Rucker and C. V. Boys at the Royal College of ...

(1868–1919), British physicist *

William Watson (Scottish physicist) William Watson FRSE (15 June 1884 – 28 June 1952) was a 20th-century Scottish physicist and mathematician. Life He was born on 15 June 1884 in Musselburgh just east of Edinburgh, the son of Janet Watson of Tranent and her husband, William Watso ...

(1884–1952), FRSE Scottish physicist and mathematician *

William Weldon Watson William Weldon Watson IV (14 September 1899 in Eveleth, Minnesota – 3 August 1992 in Hamden, Connecticut) was a physicist specializing in isotope separation and a contributor to the development of the atomic bomb. Biography Watson grew up in La ...

(1899–1992), American nuclear physicist

Sports

Association football

* William Watson (footballer, born 1873) (1873–1929) , Scottish footballer (Falkirk FC and Scotland) * Billy Watson (footballer, born 1890) (1890–1955), English international footballer with Burnley, 1908–1925 * Billy Watson (footballer, born 1893) (1893–1962), English footballer with Huddersfield Town, 1912–1927 * William Watson (footballer, fl. 1903–1909), Lincoln City footballer active in the 1900s * Bill Watson (footballer, born 1899) (1899–1969), English footballer in the 1920s–30s * Bill Watson (footballer, born 1916) (1916-1986), English footballer, fullback for Lincoln City, Chesterfield and Rochdale * William Watson (footballer, born 1900) (1900–?), Scottish footballer (Dumbarton FC) * Willie Watson (footballer, born 1910), Scottish footballer ( Hibernian, Ayr United) * Jimmy Watson (footballer, born 1914) (1914–1979), aka Bill Watson (William James Boyd Watson), English footballer in the 1930s * Billy Watson (soccer), Scottish-American footballer in the 1920s–30s * Billy Watson (Scottish footballer) (died 1950), Bradford City A.F.C. footballer, 1921–1931 * Willie Watson (English footballer), English footballer, full-back for Northampton Town *

Willie Watson (English cricketer) Willie Watson (7 March 1920 – 24 April 2004) was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Yorkshire, Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Leicestershire and England cricket team, England. He was a List of English cr ...

(1920–2004), English cricketer and footballer * Willie Watson (footballer, born 1949), Scottish footballer (Manchester United, Motherwell) * Graham Watson (footballer, born 1949), English footballer, aka "Willie" Watson

Cricket

* William Watson (cricketer, born 1881) (1881–1926), Australian cricketer *

(1920–2004), English cricketer and footballer * Bill Watson (cricketer) (1931–2018), Australian cricketer * Willie Watson (New Zealand cricketer) (born 1965), New Zealand cricketer

Rugby

Billy Watson (rugby union) William Donald Watson (22 December 1869 – 25 March 1953) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A forward, Watson represented Wairarapa at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side in 1893 and 1896. He played three ...

(1869–1953), member of the 1893 New Zealand rugby union team * Bill Watson (rugby union), born 1949, Scotland international rugby union player * Billy Watson (rugby league), rugby league footballer of the 1930s for England, and Keighley

Other sports

* William Watson (motoring pioneer) (1873–1961), British racing driver and motoring pioneer * William Watson (weightlifter) (1918–1998), British Olympic weightlifter * Whipper Billy Watson (1915–1990), Canadian wrestler *

William Watson (decathlete) William Delouis Watson (December 18, 1916 – 1973), also known as Big Bill Watson, was an American track and field athlete. Watson was the Amateur Athletic Union (A.A.U.) decathlon champion in 1940 and 1943. He was the first African-American to ...

(1916–1973), aka "Big Bill" Watson, American track and field athlete * William Watson (basketball) (

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1920s), African-American basketball player * Bill Watson (baseball), American baseball player * Bill Watson (ice hockey) (born 1964), ice hockey player in Minnesota * Willie Watson (bowls), Irish international lawn bowler * William Poss Watson (1868–1950), Australian rules footballer

Other people

* William Watson (bow maker) (1930–?), British bow maker * William Watson (chess player) (born 1962), English chess grandmaster * William Watson (economist), Canadian economist, member of the research advisory board for Macdonald–Laurier Institute * William Watson (merchant) (died 20 November 1559), English merchant and shipowner *

William Watson (priest) William Watson (c. 23 April 15599 December 1603) was an English Roman Catholic priest and conspirator, executed for treason. Life In 1586 Watson became a Roman Catholic priest in France, and during the concluding years of Elizabeth's reign he p ...

(1559–1603), English Roman Catholic priest and conspirator *

William Watson (sinologist) William Watson ( – ) was a British art historian who was Professor of Chinese art and archaeology at the University of London. He was a leading member of the teams that organised the ''Genius of China'' exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1973 ...

(1917–2007), professor of Chinese art and archaeology at London University *

William Watson, Baron Watson William Watson, Baron Watson, (25 August 1827 – 14 September 1899) was a Scottish lawyer and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. He was Lord Advocate, the most senior Law Officers of the Crown, Law Officer in Scotland, f ...

(1827–1899), Scottish judge * William Watson, Baron Thankerton (1873–1948), Scottish judge * William J. Watson (1865–1948), Scottish teacher and scholar of place names * William R. Watson (1887–1973), Canadian art dealer {{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, William