William was born to a Quaker family in 1794 in Orange County, N.C. He was the oldest son of Joel and Ann (Barnes) Brown. In 1800 they were living in Hillsborough, N.C. By 1802, however, they had moved to Randolph County, N.C.. Just prior to 1812 the Quakers had called on their people to move out of the slave states, but the migration was interrupted by the war of 1812. When the war ended, the Browns joined the migration of Quakers to Washington County, Indiana. They eventually became part of the Quaker Blue River Monthly Meeting in 1814 . In 1828 the Quakers were split by a bitter schism between the Hicksites and the Orthodox. William's father, Joel, was disowned from the Blue River Monthly Meeting on 4 April 1829 for meeting with the "Separatists."

William bought part of his father's land in Washington County on 24 Mar 1828 for $125. William was married to Susanna Waggoner on 3 Apr 1828 in Washington County by Richard Ruberson, J.P. In 1832, after moving to Warren County, Indiana, William and his father Joel sold their land in Washington County to Elijah Bowling for $350.

William purchased 120 acres in Warren County in 1831. His father, mother and most of his brothers and sisters also moved north to Warren County. His sisters Mary Maudlin and Rachel Maudlin remained in Washington County.

William died 6 Oct 1852. According to court documents, his real property consisted of the SW quarter of the SE quarter of section 20 of township 22 range 8 west (4o acres) and the west helf of the NE wuarter of section 29 of township 22 range 8 west (80 acres).
These parcels were across the road from each other." On 17 June 1854 his land was sold to the County Comissioners of Warren County for $889.90, each of the minor heirs receiving $155 in March of 1860.