William Brice was a planter, trader, attorney, and butcher who resided first in Albemarle County and later near the Pamlico River in Bath County, North Carolina. In 1703 he and several other men signed a petition to the governor requesting that the colonial government intercede and prevent the nearby Tuscarora and Mattamuskeet nations from fighting one another. Brice soon became a leader in his community, serving as a sheriff and land commissioner. However, in his dealings with nearby American Indian groups, Brice was often regarded as unfair and dishonest. Records indicate that Brice also engaged in the sale of enslaved American Indians.

During the Tuscarora war, Brice garrisoned a group of colonists at his plantation and attempted an attack against an American Indian village, suffering heavy losses. He later attacked the Bay River Indians, killing one of their chiefs by roasting him alive. Brice's unauthorized attacks caused significant escalations to the conflict. Later in 1716, Brice tried to start a war with the Cheraws, but the plot failed. He died in Bath County in about November 1718.