William Charles (March 5, 1831 – May 21, 1903) was a Pacific coast pioneer, Hudson's Bay Company factor, and a prominent figure in the early history of British Columbia.

[4] He came to the Pacific coast of Canada from Edinburgh by way of Panama in 1852, and was for a time employed by Breck & Ogden of Portland, Oregon.

[2] The Fraser gold-rush of 1858, transformed the HBC in British Columbia from a fur-trading to a retailing company as the HBC placed steamers on the lower Fraser and on Kamloops Lake and entered the retail trade, selling hardware and food at all its posts in the gold districts.

Later, in 1874, he was made inspecting chief factor of the western department, an important post, including in its jurisdiction all the Hudson's Bay establishments in and west of the Rocky Mountains, retaining this position up to the time of his retirement in 1885, thereafter residing permanently in Victoria to the time of his death in 1903.

On October 3, 1859, Charles married Mary Ann Birnie, a native of Astoria, Oregon.