William Edward Armytage Axon FRSL (13 January 1846 – 27 December 1913) was an English librarian, antiquary and journalist for the Manchester Guardian.

He was the illegitimate child of Edward Armytage, a clothing manufacturer, and Lydia Whitehead, a 15 year old servant girl in his household.

From a young age, he displayed a remarkable ability to absorb knowledge, an extraordinary memory, and a deep love of books and learning.

Axon had begun life as a boy in the Manchester Reference Library, and was early drawn to literary pursuits.

Later he wrote much on the folklore and historical associations of Lancashire and Cheshire, and the antiquaries of these counties made him their president.

[note 1] Axon contributed articles on the history of vegetarianism to John Harvey Kellogg's Good Health journal.

Historian Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska has noted that "Axon abhorred cruelty to animals and the degrading work of the 'slaughterman, reeking with blood and striking to death with remorseless blows a creature that shares with him the gift of life".