William Eli Sanford (September 16, 1838 – July 10, 1899) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and politician. Born in New York City, he was orphaned before his seventh birthday and then moved to Hamilton, Canada West, to live with his paternal aunt. In 1887, he was summoned to the Canadian Senate. A Conservative, he represented the senatorial division of Hamilton, Ontario. He drowned in 1899 in Lake Rosseau, Ontario. He is interred in the Sanford Family vault in Hamilton Cemetery.