William was born into a farming family, on the 15th June, 1835. The third son of Henry Hine of Powerstock and his wife Charlotte, he was baptized on 21st July, 1835 at the Methodist Chapel in Bridport. The Hine family had a long association with Elcombe Farm, on the eastern boundary of the parish, and they're recorded as living there in censuses from 1851 to 1901.

On 8th March 1859 William, now a 24 year old Blacksmith, married Harriet Dunham at St Mary's, Netherbury and they probably moved into the village around that time because by the 1861 census they are recorded as living on "High St" with a one year old daughter, Alice. In those days High St encompassed both the modern day Bridge St and St James Rd. William's occupation is recorded as "Shoeing Smith" - nowadays called a Farrier.

In November 1867 William purchased Hemplands House for £300 which has since been renamed Old Cottage and can be seen in St James Rd. The next census, in 1871, records that Alice is sadly no longer with them having died, aged just 10, in March of that year. By now they have two other children - Susan, who was a year younger than Alice, and James, aged 6. They also have Harriet's father living with them and a boarder - Harriet Crowley - a schoolmistress from Brighton. Alice is buried in the graveyard of St Mary's where she was eventually joined by her parents, her sister Susan, and Susan's husband Stephen Stevens.

In 1873 William's father Henry drew up his Will which, whilst not leaving William out completely, didn't particularly favour him. William was bequeathed £50. His sisters Marianna, Charlotte & Elizabeth were left £100 each. The rest of the estate was to be divided equally between William's two brothers, James & Henry, and their mother Charlotte for the remainder of her life. On Charlotte's death her third was to be divided between James & Henry. Two of William's siblings were not mentioned in the will at all - his oldest brother Charles and another brother David. Unfortunately Henry's will doesn't explain why he made the bequests he did but it's possible that Charles, William and David had already received financial help from their father in setting up their own businesses. By 1873 Charles was farming in his own right in Loders, William had purchased Hemplands House from which he was operating as a Blacksmith and David is described as a "Butcher, with 22 acres land" in Powerstock in the 1871 census.

On 17th June 1878 William appears to have been baptised again, this time at St Mary's. In the register Rev. H. W. Yeatman has written "Adult" where he usually recorded the date of birth. William's mother is listed as "Charlotte" but, possibly because his father had died three years earlier, instead of Henry, "William" is recorded under the heading of Father and in the space for the father's "Quality, Trade or Profession" Rev. Yeatman has written "Trade of Candidate - Blacksmith".

The 1881 census shows that William and Harriet still have their children living with them in the High Street. Their daughter Susan is now 19 and is described, like her mother, as a Dressmaker, her brother James, 16, is Apprentice to a Draper. Harriet's father had died back in 1874 and the schoolmistress is no longer boarding. However, they've been joined by a two year old Mary M. A. Nicoude who is described as "Child Brought Up" with no further explanation, although the same census lists Charles Nicoude, a 36 year old Butler, and Marie Nicoude, 30, a Housekeeper, both in service at Slape Manor.

At the beginning of December 1890 William was due to serve on an inquest jury that was set up to investigate the sudden death of five year old Gertrude Walbridge after a few days illness with bronchitis. Before the inquest started William "was seized with a paralytic fit" and died. Both William's shocking death and the inquest into Gertrude Walbridge's sudden demise were reported in the Bridport News.

A week later an advertisement was placed in the same paper:

Not much is known about William's smithing business. They do not appear to be selling any premises or equipment which would suggest the forge, etc. was part of the house rather than a seperate "Shop". The 1891 census shows that Harriet and James are still living in Hempland House. Susan is not recorded in Netherbury and it hasn't been possible to trace her anywhere else. In 1898 she married Stephen Stevens, a dairyman from Broadwindsor and they ended up dairy farming at Furleigh Farm.

In July 1900 James married his cousin Charlotte Hine who was the daughter of William's brother David. The 1901 census shows him as the Head of the Household alongside Charlotte and his mother, Harriet, who died in 1909.