Sir William Dawes, 3rd Baronet (12 September 1671 – 30 April 1724) was an English Anglican prelate who served as Bishop of Chester from 1708 to 1714 and then as Archbishop of York from 1714 to 1724.

Dawes was born at Lyons, near Braintree in Essex and from the age of nine attended Merchant Taylors' School in London.

Already excelling in Hebrew by the age of 15, he was barely 18 when he wrote his work in verse: The Anatomy of Atheisme, and his eminent The Duties of the Closet in prose.

He graduated Master of Arts (MA Cantab) from St Catharine's in 1695, on royal decree (per lit.

On 8 February 1708[1] he was consecrated Bishop of Chester: this was at the personal wish of Queen Anne, who overruled the advice of her ministers in appointing him.

Their daughter Elizabeth married William Milner (?−1745), 1st Baronet of Nun Appleton Hall, MP for York in the early 18th century.