Bill's family in Nova Scotia, are descendants of John Spinney, a native of Kittery, Maine , who arrived in Abuptic, near Argyle, Yarmouth County about 1761 from Portsmouth, N.H. An entry in Historical Sketches of Glenwood and Argyle, by Rev. Joshua Frost states that on 15th July 1771 John Spinney was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Company of Militia, in the Township of Argyle. In 1817 two Spinney brothers, Jacob and Joseph came from Argyle and settled in Bay Head, near Tatamagouche. Jacob married Susan Sutherland and they were the grandparents of Warrant Officer Bill Spinney.

His Father was Jacob Stairs Spinney, Conductor with The Canadian National Railway, his Mother was Annie Blanche Spinney. The family lived in Stellarton, Nova Scotia where Bill attended Stellarton High School and New Glasgow High School

The New Glasgow High School Crest

The old Stellarton High School building