Henry Adams

Male 1583 - Bef 1646


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  • Name  Henry Adams 
    Born  21 Jan 1583  Barton St. David, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender  Male 
    Died  Bef 06 Oct 1646  Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried  08 Oct 1646  Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • Birth: 1580 (Adams 1898), 1576 (Fairbanks Courier) Imm: from Devonshire or Braintree, England, to Boston 1632-2 (Adams)
      Res: one of earliest settlers of "Mt. Wollaston,"now Braintree (Adams) to Dedham 1636 (Fairbanks)
      Occ: besides cultivating a farm, he was also a maltster. (Hill 1904) May also have daughter Mary Adams #79 (wife of George Fairbanks)

      Henry Adams was the immigrant who came to New England in 1638 and was the ancestor of two U.S. Presidents, John Adams (1797-1801) & John Quincy Adams (1825-1829). The earliest record of Henry was in 1604, when he was the executor of his father's will, when he was at least 21. Except for the baptism of three of his children, only two records were found where he was mentioned. In 1609 he was co-executor of his brother John's will and his marriage bond in 1609, with his signature. Between 1614 and 1622, he moved from Barton St. David (which is seven miles SE of Glastonbury, Somerset, and the famous Abbey) to the adjoining parish of Kingweston, where his youngest children were baptized (1622-1629). Edith Squire had two sisters who married men who also went to New England, Anne, who married Aquila Purchase, and Margaret, who married John Shepherd. Anne came in 1633, and her husband Aquila Purchase, died during the crossing. There is speculation that Anne's letters to her sisters prompted them and their husbands to come to New England.

      There is a mural memorial in the church of Barton St. John in honor of Henry Adams, placed there by Edward Dean Adams of New York in 1926: "To the glory of God in honour of St. David and in memory of HENRY ADAMS. Born in this parish about 1583 and a founder of New England 1638. Ancestor of two presidents of America John Adams and John Quincy Adams whose exalted services to their country evoke testimony of respect for their ancestral home. This memorial has been erected by Edward Dean Adams A.D. 1926." Henry was in Barton St. David 1612 and in near by Kingweston in 1622. He continued in Kingweston as a farmer and a malster until he left in 1638. Neither Rev. Thomas Higgins, vicar of Barton St. David, nor Rev. Paul Goodwin, rector of Kingweston (1619-1645) were Puritans, so it seems the influence of his sister-in-law, Ann (Squire) Purchase caused him to come to New England with his family in 1638, except for his son Jonathan. The year of his removal is fixed by a deposition in 1656 by his son, John Adams, who stated that he had known a certain field in Cambridge (MA) since 1638. The earliest record of Henry Adams in New England was 24 Feb 1639/40, when he was granted 40 acres of Braintree (now Quincy), for a family of ten; himself, wife Edith, sons Henry, Thomas, Samuel, Peter, John, Joseph, and Edward, and daughter Ursula. His son, Jonathan remained in England a dozen years or longer. There is another Adams memorial in the Stair Hall of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston: "A memorial to Henry Adams founder of Braintree the ancestor of two presidents also to his sixth son John Adams, baptized at Kingweston, England 4 Dec 1622 settled at Menotmy Cambridge where he died 1706. Created by their descendant Edward Dean Adams.
    Person ID  I10697  L C Earle's Family
    Last Modified  15 May 2006 

    Family  Edith Squire,   d. 21 Jan 1673, Medfield, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married  19 Oct 1609  Charlton Mackrell, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Children 
     1. Henry Adams,   b. Abt 1610, Barton St. David, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Feb 1676, Medfield, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
     2. Thomas Adams,   d. 20 Jul 1688, Chelmsford, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
     3. Jonathan Adams,   b. Abt 1614, Barton St. David, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Jul 1690, Medfield, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
     4. Samuel Adams, Captain,   b. Abt 1616, Barton St. David, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Jan 1688/89, Chelmsford, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. Ursula Adams,   b. 19 Jul 1619, Barton St. David, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 20 Feb 1679
     6. Peter Adams,   b. 01 Mar 1621, Kingweston, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1690
     7. John Adams,   d. 1705/6, probably, Cambridge, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
     8. Joseph Adams,   b. 09 Feb 1625, Kingweston, Somerset, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 06 Dec 1694, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
     9. Edward Adams,   d. 12 Nov 1716, Medfield, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location
    Family ID  F11  Group Sheet

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 21 Jan 1583 - Barton St. David, Somerset, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 19 Oct 1609 - Charlton Mackrell, Somerset, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - Bef 06 Oct 1646 - Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - 08 Oct 1646 - Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Maps 
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Sources 
    1. [S82] Search for Passengers M & J:25, Spear, Burton W., (The Mary & John Clearinghouse, Toledo, OH, 1996), p.7.

    2. [S360] Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Doherty, Frank J., (Author, Pleasant Valley, NY, 1990-2001), 1:23.


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