William Canton (1845-1926) was a British journalist and writer, now best known for his contributions to children's literature. These include his series of three books, beginning with The Invisible Playmate (1894) written for his daughter Winifred Vida. He was born at Chusan in China to a Catholic family of civil servants. He studied for the priesthood at Douai, but eventually left the Roman Catholic Church to become a protestant. He worked as a journalist in London and Glasgow. He also wrote poetry, and a substantial history of the Bible Society. His works include: A Lost Epic and Other Poems (1887), W. V. Her Book (1896), A Child's Book of Saints (1898), In Memory of W. V. (1901), The Comrades (1902) and The Bible and the Anglo-Saxon People (1914).