Charles Harvey Adams (1870 - 1949)

Born 1 Dec 1870 in Rose Point, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Son of William John Adams and Mary Elizabeth (McKean) Adams

Husband of Mary Barber (Newsome) Adams — married 9 May 1891 in Butler County, PA

Descendants

Died 10 Sep 1949 at age 78 in New Castle, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Charles Harvey Adams was an evangelist who reportedly gave tours through the Holy Land for the British government during World War II. He and his wife, Mary Barber Newsome Adams, had 10 children, seven of them living to adulthood.

Charles Harvey was born on December 1, 1870, in Rose Point, Pennsylvania, the son of William John and Mary Elizabeth McKean Adams. He was the third born, and first son of their 10 children. Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States, and there were only 37 States in the Union. (Not yet admitted were: Colorado; North Dakota; South Dakota; Montana; Washington; Idaho; Wyoming; Utah; Oklahoma; New Mexico; Arizona; Alaska; and Hawaii.)

By 1880, Charles was living in Rosepoint, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania with the first six of his siblings. He was nine years old. His father, William John Adams was listed as a laborer. His siblings were Mary. Melissa, Nannie, Amanda, James and Harry. The four oldest children had attended school, and all had been born in Pennsylvania, as had their parents.

Charles Harvey's father, William John, and his grandfather, Joseph, had been Union soldiers in the Civil War. His great grandfather and 2nd great grandfather, John and John Adams, Jr. were in the Revolutionary War. The family was very patriotic.

Charles married Mary Barber Newsome on May 9, 1892 in Butler County, Pennsylvania. He was 21, she was 18. He was an oil man living in Beaver Falls. Mary lived in Connoquenessing Township of Butler County. Mary had given birth to Noel Dane Adams 11 days earlier, on April 28, 1892.

In 1900, the US Census shows the family living in North Fayette Township of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Charles and Mary have four children, and they live with two boarders. In addition to Noel, they had Estella, born in January of 1895; Alice, born in August of 1896; and Ruth born in April of 1898. Their boarders were 40 year old Samuel Gray and 37 year old John Potter. Charles and Samuel Gray were oil well pumpers, and John Potter was a coal miner. Mary is listed as the mother of 5 children, with only 4 still living. It is believed that the other child was Robert, born in about 1893.

Mary was pregnant when the 1900 Census was taken on June 12, 1900, as Arthur Edgar Adams was born July 27, 1900. Clara Mae would be born June 30, 1903.

Charles and Mary's son, Paul Ernest Adams was born in Slippery Rock Township of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania on March 6, 1907 at 6 p.m. in the evening. He was the ninth child born, and seventh still living. The family lived at R.D. #83 in Portersville. Charles was working as a pumper. The attending physician was Dr. E.U. Snyder.

Although Paul was the last child born to live to adulthood, he was not Mary's last pregnancy, as she gave birth to a stillborn child on January 14, 1910.

During the 1910 Census, the family lived near McConnells Mill Road. The family unit included Charles and Mary and their seven living children; Noel, Stella, Alice, Ruth, Arthur, Clara and Paul. Charles and Mary had been married 18 years, and had had 10 children born to them, seven of which survived. Charles was listed as a farmer.

Charles Harvey had moved his family to Ritchie County, West Virginia by 1920. He was living there with his wife, Mary, and his three youngest children Arthur, Clara, and Paul. He was working as an oil producer in an oil field.

There is a photo that is reportedly of Charles Harvey Adams in Israel, and it is dated circa 1910. Records indicate the date is wrong, as a Passport application is found dated January 5, 1924. The Application indicates a residence in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He gave his occupation as an evangelist. Charles Harvey "got religion" between 1920 and 1924. Perhaps the death of his daughter, Ruth, on February 3, 1921 had a part in that decision.

The Passport issued on January 5, 1924 indicates he was travelling to Alexandria, Egypt, Palestine, Madeira, and Gibraltar, and sailing from the Port of New York on the SS Patria.

Charles Harvey Adams is described in the Application as 53 years old, with dark hair and brown eyes, and 5 foot eight and 1/2 inches tall. His sister, Nannie Calhoun vouched for his identity.

It is unknown if Charles Harvey actually sailed on January 5th, as his fees were paid on the 7th, but there is a record of him returning. He departed from Alexandria, Egypt on May 28, 1924, and arrived at the Port of New York on June 19, 1924 on the S.S. President Polk. This record gives his address as Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

For the rest of Charles Harvey Adams' life he would be either in the Holy Land, or working to get money to go back. He was known to sell postcards to get money for his missionary trips. He reportedly got a job giving tours through the Holy Land for the British government. Mary would stay behind, first living with her son Arthur and his family, and then with Paul and his family.

Tragedy struck in September of 1935, when both of Arthur Edgar's sons died of Scarlet Fever. Orville Gayle Adams died on September 16, 1935, He had lived 8 years, 10 months and 15 days. Arthur Edgar Adams, Jr. died September 21, 1935. He had lived 10 years, 5 months, and 4 days.

It is difficult for a parent to bury a child, and the family already had lost six members: Robert, born about 1893 and died before 1900; an unknown child born between 1900 and 1906; a stillborn child born January 14, 1910; their beloved Ruth, who died at 22 years old in 1921; and Arthur's two sons. Unfortunately this was not to be the end to their pain. Fortunately for Mary Barber Newsome Adams, she would not live to see the early deaths of Arthur and Paul. Mary died of pneumonia on March 14, 1938. She was 64 years, 6 months, and 20 days old.

On February 10, 1940, Arthur Edgar Adams died of a gastric carcinoma. He had lived 39 years, 6 months and 14 days. He left a wife and three daughters, his two sons having died 7 years before.

Paul Ernest Adams was killed in a motor vehicle accident on June 8, 1942. He was attempting to jump on the running board of a truck, and fell under the wheels. He also left a wife and three children.

Sources

• United States Census, 1880 for Pennsylvania, Lawrence, Rosepoint, ED225 [1]

• Marriage License Dockets 1885-1906 [2]

• United States Census, 1900 for Pennsylvania, Allegheny, ED 460 [3]

• Pennsylvania, Birth Records, 1906-1908 for Paul Adams [4]

• Pennsylvania, Birth Certificates, 1906-1910 for Stillborn Baby Adams [5]

• United States Census, 1910, for Pennsylvania, Lawrence, Slippery Rock [6]

• United States Census, 1920 for West Virginia, Ritchie, Grant, ED 119 [7]

• U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 for Charles Harvey Adams [8]

• New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 for Charles H Adams [9]

• West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999 for Orville Gayle Adams [10]

• West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999 for Arthur Edgar Adams, Jr.[11]

• Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966 for Mary Barber Adams [12]

• Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966 for Arthur Edgar Adams [13]

• Michigan, Death Certificates 1921-1942, for Paul Adams, Jr [14]

• Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966 for Charles H Adams [15]

• FindAGrave Memorial #59993302 [16]

• History by Vaughn Adams [17]

• Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966 for Estella Alcorn [18]

• Paternal relationship is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between

Holly (Holibaugh) Johnson and Elsie (Adams) Langford, 3rd cousins. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: 3rd cousins based on sharing 115 cM across 6 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.