William Quarrier was born in Greenock in September 1829.
His father died when he was 3 and his family moved to Glasgow. William began work at 6 years old in a pin factory then as an apprentice shoemaker.
Glasgow was a wealthy growing city at that time, but the people in the slums were very poor and William and his friends were often cold and hungry.
When William was 17 he went to work as a shoemaker for a Mrs Hunter and began attending Blackfriars Baptist Church where he became a Christian.
William soon owned three shoe shops and married Mrs Hunter's daughter, Isabella. They had four children - Isabella, Agnes, Frank and Mary.
