Billy was born in Rothesay in 1939 and grew up in Campbeltown in Argyll. His parents were Christians and all through his childhood and adolescence he attended Lochend United Free Church. He was converted at he age of seventeen during a Faith Mission Campaign in the town, and later joined the United Free Church.  When he was eighteen, he went to Glasgow to study Accountancy and there became involved with the Church of Scotland. Early in his apprenticeship he felt called to the ministry, but with something of a struggle, he completed his accountancy course. He then studied at Glasgow University and Trinity College, greatly enjoying the challenge of radical theology. During this time he met his wife Joan and they were married on 12th August 1967 at St. Ninian's Training Centre in Crieff where Billy did a Probationary Period of two years under the Rev. Bill Shannon. Their first daughter Joy was born just before they left Crieff and was baptised on their first Sunday in Billy's first charge, St.Ninian's Craigmailen, in LInlithgow. While in Linlithgow their second daughter Catriona, was born.  After ten years they moved to Erskine, a new town and were there for seventeen years. Looking for a less demanding charge they moved to Shetland and had seven and a half happy years in what is known as the West Side Parishes. While in Shetland, Billy joined the Scottish Reformation Society and is still a member.

On retrial, they moved to Turin and became members of St. Andrew's Parish Church where Joan in both an elder and an equalising elder.   On January of this year they became grand parents for the first time to a lovely little granddaughter called Stele.  Both Billy and Joan will greatly appreciate your prayers for this year