William John Sparrow Simpson (20 June 1859 – 13 February 1952) was an English Anglican priest and writer.

He wrote the libretto for John Stainer's oratorio The Crucifixion (1887), several hymns, and more than fifty books.

As an undergraduate he was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal for English verse in a competition judged by Robert Browning; he graduated with a first class degree in theology in 1882.

[1] In the same year he was ordained deacon, and went to Christ Church, Albany Street in Marylebone, London as curate.

In the following year, in which he was ordained priest, he wrote the first of two libretti for choral works by John Stainer.