Dr. William Pasteur was a notable figure in Williamsburg. He established his first Williamsburg apothecary shop in 1759. In 1775 he formed a partnership with his Williamsburg competitor, Dr. John Minson Galt. From 1776-1776 Pasteur served as mayor of Williamsburg. Pasteur retired from the Pasteur and Galt Apothecary in 1778. In his will, Pasteur empowered his executors to sell his lands in Goochland and all his personal property except for his slaves. He directed the executors to apply the proceeds of the sale to the payment of his debts, gave specific bequests to particular slaves, and left what did not sell, along with a bequest of 500 Pounds, to his wife Elizabeth.