Vinal was born in South Scituate (now Norwell) to William Raymond and Mary Ellen Farrar who worked a farm.

His ancestors included William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth Colony and Captain Peter Sears (1753–1821).

During vacations he worked on a variety of jobs including selling ice-cream, transporting vegetables and milking cows.

[4] He served as a biologist for the Massachusetts Fish and Game Commission for many summers and also ran Camp Chequasset for nautical training for girls in Cape Cod from 1914 to 1926 and became more familiarly known as "Cap'n Bill", a name he used in many of his educational pamphlets.

[3][5][6][7] An active correspondent of contemporary educators (like Anna Comstock) and a prolific writer, he was the member of many societies.