She made 19 complete voyages to Davis Strait and Greenland in the British northern whale fishery, but was lost to ice on her 20th.

On 2 July 1830 William became trapped in ice at Davis Strait, leading her crew to abandon her and join other whaling vessels in the area.

When she rose to the point that the beams above the casks of blubber she had collected were exposed, they set fire to them too.

When William's master would not sign over her blubber and whale fins to the crews, Zephyr sailed away.

[3] Although all but one witness, all of whom were masters of whaling ships, testified for the defendant, the jury found for the plaintiff.