William Crisp was the son of John Crisp and his wife Mary Tingey.

Soon after he was born, his father died and eventually his mother remarried to James Martin, a widower. They went on to have three children although it appears that two of them died in their infancy.

William is believed to have married Selina and moved up to the Rochdale area. It is also believed that they had several children but they contracted Measles and all died, including William. His widow, Selina, is believed to have then moved to Soham, Cambridgeshire.