William Aislabie, politician and landscape designer, was the son of John Aislabie of Studley Royal, North Yorkshire. His birth date is uncertain, but it is believed to be in either 1699 or 1700.
Little is known of William's early life but, following his father's decline from power and the bursting of the South Sea Bubble in 1721, William took the family seat in Parliament, which he held until his death in 1781.
Between 1742 and 1781, William extended his father's work at Studley Royal by creating the Chinese gardens in the Valley of Seven Bridges. The name of some of the features were inspired by General Wolfe's capture of Quebec in 1759 .
At Hackfall, North Yorkshire, bought by his father in 1731, William created a wilderness between 1750 and 1767. There he also developed a series of follies, grottoes, views and waterfalls.
William Aisabie died in 1781.