In the beginning of his life, he travelled a great deal. William's travels began in 1766. The diplomatic service needed an envoy to Poland. William was chosen as a messenger. As an art student he would not be suspected of carrying secret government papers.

On his journey home he was surrounded by bandits. William had nothing to give the bandits, yet he went with them to their hideout. His captors were young and lighthearted; they called him Berczy, a Hungarian nickname for Albert.

William met a female painter by the name of Charlotte Allamands. Charlotte was sixteen years younger than William. He and Charlotte were married on November 1, 1785. He came to Canada and settled near the new capital of Upper Canada. Arriving in York in 1794, Berczy was designed and constructed some of Canada's earliest buildings for the next three years. During this time he became a well known painter. Finally in, June of 1802, he was able to support himself as a painter and builder.

By the year 18 08, William and Charlotte had two sons, young William and Charles. Four years later in the spring of 1812, William started out for the United States with his own manuscript of his Statistical Account. Having spent a short time in Vermont he very much desired to return home. William died in New York and was buried in the Old Trinity Churchyard on February 5, 1813.

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