William Shay was born on Saturday 2 February 1895 in East Retford.

William married Annie Eliza Greenhough in 1919 in E. Retford Registration District.

He had the following children from his marriage to Annie Eliza Greenhough:

- Kenneth J. Shay	born in 1922 at Retford, Notinghamshire.
- Joan T. Shay	born in 1925 at Doncaster, Yorkshire.
- William Gordon Shay	born in 1928 at Doncaster, Yorkshire.

William was a Collier.

Details of William's death are not known.