William Dow (b. March 27, 1800 – d. December 7, 1868) emigrated to Canada from Scotland in about 1818. A trained brewer, he took employment with James Dunn's brewery in Montreal and quickly became a partner. His younger brother, Andrew, who had also trained as a brewer, joined him, and on the death of Dunn, the company became known as William Dow and Company. It soon was a strong competitor to Molson's, the biggest brewery in the city.
Dow was also a financier in Montreal.