Early Life and Marriage William Lawrence grew up in a Quaker-connected Long Island family. His future wife, Thamar Fisher of North Castle, Westchester County, eloped with him at age nineteen on August 15, 1795, and the couple settled in New York City. Despite the unconventional beginning, the marriage proved long and stable, producing six children.

Pioneer in American Pharmaceutical Manufacturing William Lawrence is credited with being the first manufacturing druggist in North America. Prior to the 1790s, most medicines sold in America were imported or compounded in small batches by apothecaries. Lawrence established a business that produced drugs, medicinal compounds, and chemical preparations on a larger, commercial scale. His enterprise helped transition the American pharmaceutical trade from small-shop apothecary work to industrial-scale manufacture, and he became well known in New York mercantile circles for the quality of his products.

Military Service During the War of 1812, he served in the New York forces (traditionally identified with the city militia or state levies). His service occurred during a period of significant vulnerability for New York City, particularly surrounding the 1814 coastal defense measures.

Later Career and Public Standing By the 1820s and 1830s, Lawrence had established himself as a respected figure in the commercial community of New York City. His business interests in drug manufacturing, and possibly in related mercantile ventures, continued into his later years. He lived to the age of seventy-two, while his wife Thamar survived him by more than two decades, reaching ninety-five.