William Harkness was an astronomer. He was born at Ecclefechan, Scotland, a son of James (1803–78) and Jane Harkness. His father was a pastor and moved the family to the United States. Harkness served in the military, traveled extensively, and headed research missions developing techniques and equipment for astronomical study.

Ecclefechan is a small village located in Dumfries and Galloway in the south of Scotland.