William Watson (c. April 23, 1559 – December 9, 1603), English conspirator, was a native of the north of England.
Sir William Watson (1858 – August 11, 1935), was an English poet, popular in his time for the political content of his verse. He was born at Burley, Wharfedale in Yorkshire.
William Watson (3 April 1715 – 10 May 1787) was an English physician and scientist who was born and died in London. His early work was in botany, and he helped to introduce the work of Carolus Linnaeus into England. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1741 and vice president in 1772.
William Watson was one of the first African-American basketball players to lead an integrated team to a championship. In 1924 Watson's Lane Tech High School met Wendell Phillips High School to dispute the championship of the Chicago Public School League. Watson's quintet won 18-4, and he was hailed by the black Chicago Defender newspaper as a hero, despite the newspaper's preference for the all-black Wendell Phillips club.
William Watson (1837–1879), was a surgeon in the 105th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers during the American Civil War. During his duty in the Army of the Potomac, he took part in several battles including Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Gettysburg notably.