William Kirby, (13 October 1817 – 23 June 1906), was a Canadian author, best known for The Golden Dog. He was born at Kingston upon Hull, England, on October 13, 1817, and came to Canada with his parents in 1832. He settled in Niagara, Upper Canada, in 1839. He married the daughter of John Whitmore, Niagara, and had two sons. For more than twenty years he edited the Niagara Mail. From 1871 to 1895 he was collector of customs at Niagara. In 1883 he became a charter member of the Royal Society of Canada. He died at Niagara on June 23, 1906. The Golden Dog was initially published in English without his permission in 1877. It was translated into French by Pamphile LeMay and L. H. Fréchette, and again published without his permission. He finally published a revised edition (with copyright) in 1896.