Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet was a Scottish lawyer, Whig politician and landowner who sat in the British House of Commons between 1768 and 1805. One of the wealthiest Britons during his lifetime, he invested in the construction of several prominent buildings in Britain, including the Pulteney Bridge and other properties in Bath, Somerset, several beachfront residences in Weymouth, Dorset and roads in Scotland. Pulteney was also a patron of architect Robert Adam and civil engineer Thomas Telford. He also owned slave plantations in British America.

Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon in Bath, England. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family which the family wished to develop. Designed by Robert Adam in a Palladian style, it is highly unusual in that it has shops built across its full span on both sides. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.