He started work as a printer and soon opened his own business at the Bridge End, Gateshead.
[1][2] Much of his business seemed to come from the cheap chapbooks, song slips, many to the hawkers together with last dying confessions; these seem to be the objects which keep turning up in collections.
Shortly after closure of The Gateshead Intelligencer, he gave up his printing work and became an auctioneer.
On his death, the Gateshead Observer of 26 May 1838 carried a notice which read “On Sunday (May 20), after a long illness, aged 40, much respected, Mr. W. Stephenson, printer" These include :- In 1824 he published a small chapbook “The Tyneside Minstrel” which contained the works of William Mitford, William Oliver, his father William Stephenson (senior), himself and others.
It ran from 1830 to 1833 The Beggar's Wedding[3] Ellen The Lass that shed a tear for me Merry Lads of Gyetshead The Sandhill Monkey Smiling Betty