William Steele was a resident of colonial North Carolina, possibly as early as 1677. He may have served as the colony's overseer and surveyor of the roads for Pasquotank Precinct from 1683 to 1684. Involved in the maritime trade, he had an association with William Lee and John Spelman before the latter two helped Steele's wife Dorothy run away from him. Lee, Spelman, and Dorothy Steele later returned and were found guilty before the court for theft and abandonment, respectively. Steele died sometime after April 1699.