[1] He was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, to Salmon North and Jerusha Leeds.
He was a founder of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, where he was a trustee, and remained active for many years.
In Lowell, William North was overseer of the Dyeing at the Middlesex Manufacturing Company.
He was a member of the Board of Aldermen, the School Committee, and the vice president and director of the City Institution for Savings.
He was also a member of the Lowell City Council, and the Massachusetts State Legislature.