Sir William Henry Watson QC (1 July 1796 – 13 March 1860), was a British politician and judge.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for Newcastle-on-Tyne in the liberal interest, July 1852, but in 1854 he was elected member for Hull, and sat as such until on 3 November 1856 he was created Baron of the Exchequer, to succeed Sir Thomas Joshua Platt.
Watson proved himself a judge possessed of clear head and strong mind, but his career on the bench was very short.
On the conclusion of his charge to the grand jury of Montgomeryshire Spring Assizes at Welshpool, 13 March 1860, he was seized with apoplexy, and died, aged 63, at his lodging, fifteen to twenty minutes later.
He was distinguished as an advocate by honesty and earnestness rather than eloquence, but was a sound lawyer and the author of two (for a time) standard professional works: