The son of a draughtsman, William Patrick was born in Glasgow on 8 Sep 1852. He was educated at Gorbals Youths’ School and Glasgow University, where he graduated with first class honours in mental philosophy in 1875. Between 1874 and 1878 he studied at the Free Church College, Glasgow, and was ordained in 1878.

From 1878 to 1892 William Patrick was minister of Free St David’s Church, Kirkintilloch, where his personality and progressive ideas steadily increased church attendance. His younger brother, David Patrick, who joined him in Kirkintilloch in 1884, was a partner in the legal firm of Patrick & Paterson, and was Town Clerk of Kirkintilloch from 1887 until his death in 1941.To the consternation of some, William Patrick combined his religious ministry with politics. He was elected to Kirkintilloch School Board in 1885, and was chair of the Board until 1891. He was also a lifelong abstainer and helped to form the Kirkintilloch Temperance Union; the Temperance campaign became particularly strong in Kirkintilloch, leading to the town becoming ‘dry’ from 1921 to 1968.In 1892, William Patrick left Kirkintilloch to become minister of Free St Paul’s Church, Dundee, and in 1900 he took up the post of Principal of Manitoba College, Winnipeg, Canada. He returned to Kirkintilloch in 1911 when he became seriously ill, and died the same year. He is buried in the Old Aisle Cemetery. In 1929 David Patrick purchased Camphill House in Kirkintilloch from James Slimon, which he donated to Kirkintilloch Town Council as a library to be named after his brother. The William Patrick Memorial Library remained in Camphill House until 1994 when it moved to the purpose-built William Patrick Library at Kirkintilloch Cross.