William Briggs (9 September 1836 – 5 November 1922) was an Irish-born Canadian Methodist minister and publisher.

During this time he was drawn deeply to religion and began preaching throughout the Liverpool area.

In 1886 Cobourg's Victoria University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity; he served on its board of regents in 1906–07.

By the 1890s the publisher averaged 20 original books a year, including such religious fare as that of George Blewett and secular histories, fiction, and poetry.

Briggs promoted the works of Canadian authors such as Robert W. Service and Nellie McClung, and the publisher become one of the most successful in the young nation.