William Henry Adams (1809 - 1865)

Born 1809 in Norman Cross, Huntingdonshire, England

Descendants

Died 29 Aug 1865 at about age 56 in Plâs Llyssyn, Carno, Montgomery, Wales

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Biography

Hon. William Henry Adams, Chief Justice of Her Majesty's Colony of Hong Kong, late M.P. for Boston was born in 1809 and was the son of Thomas Adams of Normancross, Huntindonshire. ^[1]

As a boy he entered a printing office as a compositor. He read law in his spare time and also worked as a law reporter for the Morning Herald.^[2]

1. 1850 Member of the House of Commons Place: England~S3
2. 1851 Age: 43 Barrister • Practising and a Magistrate for Boston in Boston, Lincolnshire, England~S4
3. 1857-1859 Member of Parliament for Boston in Boston, Lincolnshire, England ~S3
4. 1859-1865 Hong Kong, China 23 May 1862 Letter from W.H.[William Henry] Adams to Sir William Jackson Hooker; from Hong Kong, [China]~S3
5. Chief Justice of Hong Kong or erroneously Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong (Chinese: 首席按察司, later on 首席大法官) was the most senior judge in the court system in Hong Kong until 1997.

In 1859, Adams was appointed Attorney General of Hong Kong. On his arrival in Hong Kong in September 1859, Adams was appointed acting Chief Justice, in August 1860, Adams was appointed Chief Justice.^[3]

In 1965 he fell ill, and died 29 Aug 1865 Plâs Llyssyn, Carno, Montgomery, England (Residence of his oldest son) Adams had been well liked in Hong Kong and a local paper carried the following eulogy:
"It is almost too painful for us to speak of his many estimable qualities, at a time when admiration ought properly give way to grief. There cannot be two opinions as to the ability with which he discharged the duties of his office. A juster more conscientious and abler man never sat upon the Bench in this Colony. Every one must admit that his judgements were delivered with care and with admirable wisdom. He was one of best men that ever came to China or left it."^{[2][4][5][6][7]}'\

Sources

1. ↑
   The Derby Mercury Published 1861 Mar 06

   Marriages • At the Cathedral, Hong Kong, on the 20th Dec 1860, by the Rev. J. Y. Trivin, M.A., Colonial chaplain, assisted by the Rev. J. H. Gray, British consular chaplain of Canton, Alfred Fincham, Esq., of Canton, to Ann Maria, elder daughter of the Hon. W. H. Adams, Chief Justice of Hong Kong.

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1}
   Norton-Kyshe, A History of the Laws and Courts of Hong Kong,

   Norton-Kyshe, History of the Laws and Courts of Hong Kong, Vol II, p83

3. ↑
   Norton-Kyshe, A History of the Laws and Courts of Hong Kong,

   Norton-Kyshe, History of the Laws and Courts of Hong Kong, Vol I, pp604-605 and p657

4. ↑
   1851 England Census

   Street Address 72 Sirbeck Road Boston, Lincolnshire, England • Civil Parish Boston • County/Island: Lincolnshire • Country: England • Registration district Boston • Sub-registration district: Boston • ED, institution, or vessel: 3a • Household schedule number: 172 • Piece: 2099 • Folio: 113 • Page Number: Age 45
   Household Members:

   1. William Henry Adams Age: 43 • abt 1808 • POB Norman Cross, Huntingdonshire, England • Head Occupation • Barrister • Practising and a Magistrate for Borough of Boston.
   2. Ann Adams Age: 60 • abt 1791 • POB Pentonville, Middlesex, England • Wife
   3. William Henry Adams Age: 16 • abt 1835 • POB Boston, Lincolnshire, England • Son (Child) • Occupation Scholar
   4. Thomas E Adams Age: 13 • abt 1838 • POB Boston, Lincolnshire, England • Son (Child) • Occupation Scholar
   5. Ann Maria Adams Age: 12 • abt 1839 • POB Boston, Lincolnshire, England • Daughter (Child) • Occupation Scholar at Home
   6. George Charles Adams Age: under 10 Months • abt 1851 • POB Boston, Lincolnshire, England • Son (Child)
   7. Mary Jefferary Age: 20 • Occupation House Servant
   8. John Cook Age: 19 • Occupation Groom
   9. Elizabeth Corbishley Age: 30 • Occupation Charwoman

5. ↑
   Letter from William Henry Adams to Sir William Jackson Hooker

   From Hong Kong, China http://plants.jstor.org/visual/kdcas2643 Text: Description Adams writes that when he was a member of the House of Commons in 1850, he took a great interest in the success of the gardens under Hooker's management and obtained an assurance that some new houses should be built for the Australian plants. He left England to become Chief Justice in Hong Kong in 1859 and would be happy to send Hooker anything for the gardens. His daughter Mr Fincham is leaving China for England and he is taking the opportunity to send Hooker a few nuts, which he does not know the name of. He is also sending a few seeds of a beautiful climber he obtained from the garden of Dr Sibbald at Shanghai and which appears to be new. Pages 1 and 4 of 4 - Note: Unable to copy letters from Web page - Record File Number: KDCAS2643 Title: Letter from W.H.[William Henry] Adams to Sir William Jackson Hooker; from Hong Kong, [China]; 23 May 1862; four page letter comprising two images; folio 1 Author: Adams, William Henry Publication: Library and Archives at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Call Number: KDCAS2643 Note: Collection name Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Archives: Directors' Correspondence Page

6. ↑
   England Wales National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966

   Page 21 & Page 22 15 Jan 1867 Principal Registry | ADAMS William Henry Esq. Effects Under £3,000 The Will of William Henry Adams late of the Colony of Hong Kong Esquire deceased who died 29 Aug 1865 at Plas Llyssyn in the Parish of Carno in the County of Montgomery was proved at the Principal Registry by the oaths of Ellen Williams Adams of 40 Abingdon-villias Kensington in the County of Middlesex Widow the Relict and William Henry Adams of Plas Llyssyn aforesaid Esquire the Son two of the Executors'

7. ↑
   Anonymous Wood was posted on this WikiTree profile

   .William Henry Adams' father Thomas Adams (1748-1810) and his mother was Anna Maria Farr (1782-1837). They were married at St Mary's Church, Lewisham, Kent on 18 December 1801 and had three children, George (b.1803), William Henry (b.1809) and Edmund Thomas (1810-64. My mother was an Adams and Edmund was her great-grandfather.) I know nothing of his earlier life, but Thomas became a Steward at Norman Cross Prison near Huntingdon which is where William Henry was born (though I think the senior staff mostly lived off-site in nearby villages). This was a special prison built to house up to 7,000 Napoleonic War prisoners, mostly French. Nothing of it remains today, but its history is well documented online and in various books.
   
   Anna was Thomas's second marriage after the death of his first wife Hannah Bodington (b.1746) whom he had married at St Marylebone Church, London on 26 June 1768. They had 4 children, Thomas (b.1773), Fanny (b.1775), Richard and William. After Thomas's death in 1810 Anna also remarried John Carlisle (1787-1841) at what is now Southwark Cathedral but probably had no more children.
   
   The parents of Thomas Adams were Richard Adams (b.1712) and Mary Clark.

See Also:

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Adams
• WikiPedia -William Henry Adams
• Ancestry - William Henry Adams
• Publications 1. Biographical Sketch-book of Early Hong Kong by By G. B. Endacott