William Gibson was a 16th-century layman from a noble Scottish family who was executed in York for his Catholic faith. Born in Fife around 1548, he was the son of a Scottish judge. After being accused of treason, he was imprisoned in York Castle alongside several other men. Following a trap set by a clergyman, Gibson was convicted under English Penal Laws for attempting to convert others to Catholicism, leading to his death in 1596.