William Pasteur was still alive as of 5 Feb 1780. New Bern District Court Criminal Action papers show that he was given a counterfeit bill:
Folder: 1780
Information: Oath of Oroondates DAVIS that he was playing whist at the home of Mr. OLIVER, and that Nathan SMITH was there (DAVIS had not known SMITH previously), and that he made a bet with SMITH, which he won. SMITH paid him with a $100 bill, which upon examination proved to be counterfeit. He showed it to SMITH, who doubted it was ounterfeit, and DAVIS pointed out several flaws in the bill. Some of the others there also agreed it was counterfeit. DAVIS offered to swear before a magistrate that it was a bad bill, and SMITH took it back. DAVIS told him to return it to the man he got it from, and not try to pass it again. 2-3 days later, DAVIS was in the shop of Mr. William PASTEUR, and PASTEUR showed him a $100 bill that SMITH had paid to PASTEUR’s brother Neddy, and DAVIS was positive in his opinion that it was the same bill.
Date: 5 Feb 1780
County: Craven
(In an earlier account of the same event, William Pasteur was referred to as “Dr. Pasteur”).
A murder charge should have been brought in New Bern District Court. There doesn’t seem to be a record of this.
Source : Sue Guptill
Edit by Olivier Pasteur : It is not clear whether Dr William Pasteur, owner of the Pasteur & Galt Apothecary Shop in Williamsburg, is the same William Pasteur who was killed by the Torries in 1781. As a matter of fact, there are several William Pasteurs in the Pasteur Genealogical Database and I do not know how they relate to each other:
- Dr William Pasteur (?-1791)
- Major William Pasteur (?-1781)
- William Pasteur (1768-?)
Any clue on any of these three William Pasteurs will be most appreciated !