Died of pneumonia contracted in France aged 57
Buried at St Mary’s Church, Caynham

William Michael was born in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, the son of William Edmund Curtis and Ariana Emily nee Master. At the age of ten, on the death of his grandfather, Sir William Curtis, the 3rd baronet, he succeeded as the 4th Baronet of Culland's Grove and inherited the Caynham Court Estate in Shropshire.

Whilst at Eton, in the Revd. W Wayte’s House, he developed a great interest in hunting and was master of the Eton Beagles which he brought home on several occasions, to specially built kennels on Catholic Hill, opposite Caynham Court. Leaving Eton in 1876, he went up to Oxford and was Master of the Christ Church Beagles 1880-82. He was Master of the Ludlow Hunt from 1886 to 1907;

He married in 1887, Mabel Gurney, daughter of Sir Somerville Arthur Gurney KCVO. She died, aged 22, the following year, after giving birth to a daughter, Constance Mabel. In 1895, he married the widowed, Georgina Mary Mesham nee Howard, of County Wicklow. They had three more daughters.

Sir William, despite his age volunteered for the 1914-18 war and served in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry. In 1916 he contracted pneumonia in France, and returned home, but failed to recover. He died at Shrewsbury on 19 December 1916. His funeral was held at St Mary’s Church, Caynham on 22 December 1916 at 2.45pm.

His Estate amounted to £17,166 19s 2d, probate granted to his widow.