William James Venables was born in Burslem, Staffordshire on 14 May 1892 and was active as an architect in England in the 1920s. From c.1924 to c.1938 he was in partnership with Reginald Thelwall Longden (1879-1941) in the architectural firm Longden & Venables. The firm went into receivership in 1935, however, however, it would seem that the business continued for at least another three years.
Venables was a Member of the Society of Architects until 1925 when he was admitted a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA).
His address was given as St. Edward Street. Leek, Staffordshire; Stafford Street, Hanley, Staffordshire in 1926; and Gordon Chambers, Cheapside Square, Hanley, Staffordshire in 1939. He died on 25 March 1958.