William Gould was the son of Edward Gould, merchant, of Hornsey, Middlesex, and his wife Jane. William was baptised at St. Michael, Highgate on the 17th July 1715.
He was admitted to Emmanuel College, Cambridge on the 29th January 1733/4 and achieved a B.A. in 1737/8 and an M.A. in 1741.
He was ordained a deacon in Lincoln on 28th May 1738 and a priest in November 1743. He became vicar of Hoxne in 1743 and vicar of Dedham, Essex and vicar Syleham from 1752. He appointed 2 curates during his time at Hoxne, in 1752, John Cutting, and in 1754, Richard White.
The Rev. William Gould married Catherine Oborne, daughter of Henry Oborne, vicar of Thaxted and his wife, Eliza, on 5th October 1748, at Little Easton in Essex. They had 12 children all baptised in Hoxne between 1749 and 1765.
William died and was buried at Hoxne on the 13th June 1772, aged 56.
A monument to Rev. Wm. Gould, A. M. Vicar, died 7 June 1772 and Katherine, his relict, who died at Dedham, Essex, 29 Aug. 1799, aged 76, buried in Hoxne on 6th September, is in Hoxne church .
