When William Langley was born on 27 December 1850, in Pudsey, Yorkshire, England, his father, John Langley, was 31 and his mother, Sybil Grayson, was 28. He married Martha Yeadon in 1875, in Pudsey, Yorkshire, England. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 3 daughters. He lived in Calverley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom for about 10 years and Farsley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom in 1911. He died on 25 October 1911, at the age of 60.