John Adams (1672 - 1753)

Born 1672 in County Antrim, Ireland

Descendants

Died 12 Jul 1753 at about age 81 in Bedminster, Somerset, New Jersey

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Biography

John was born about 1672 in County Antrim. It appears that John and Elizabeth Adams brought their family to New Jersey from County Antrim prior to 1736, as that is about the time that their daughter, Margaret, married Ephraim McDowell. Researcher Betsy Groh of Chattanooga, Tennessee says that the Adams emigration was prior to that of the McDowells. The Adams family were members of the Lamington Presbyterian Church which was located near Bedminster. Rev. James McCrea was minister of the church from 1740 to 1766. His daughter Jane would later be a martyr of the American Revolution when she was murdered by Indians allied with the British. John Adams passed away in 1753 and is buried in the Lamington Presbyterian Church Cemetery. There is a reference to MacDale (McDowell) Adams as the first born child of John and Elizabeth. Their remaining children were: Margaret, born 1706; Matthew, born 1710; William, born 1712; James, born 1714; John, born 1715; and Samuel D, born 1716.

The Adams family, originally Adam in Scotland, may have come to County Antrim from Ayrshire, Scotland. The Scottish government had made efforts to colonize areas with Lowlanders in order to consolidate the kingdom. An area of proposed internal colonization in 1598 was Kintyre. The project commenced in 1607 when the Earl of Argyll received the lands of Kintyre in feu farm^[1] from the king. The original inhabitants of Kintyre, the Macdonalds, were dispossessed and moved to Ulster and nearby parts of the Western Highlands. In 1609 the feu duties were abolished provided that the Earl of Argyll "plant a burgh, to be inhabited by Lowland men and trafficking burgesses, within the bounds of Kintyre." The Plantation of Kintyre had close parallels with that of Ireland in that the original Gaelic-speaking inhabitants were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands and replaced by incoming English-speaking Protestants. In the case of Argyll, the settlers came mainly from Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and adjacent counties, an area that provided many of the Scottish settlers in Ulster a few years later. This project of establishing a Lowland colony in Kintyre, including a burgh named Lochead (later named Campbelltown), achieved its long-term objectives, unlike the Lewis venture or that of Lochaber, which did not succeed until the building of Fort William a century later.^[2]

The Adam name is found in Kintyre in 1685, with the names of Hendrie Adam and John Adame found in the "Townland of Lochhead or Campbeltown in Kintyre." This comes from a "List of Rebells in Argyll Shyr and Tarbert Shyr (excepting Ila and oyr Isles)." From the same source, in a "List of the Fencible Men, 1692" is the name of John Adam in the "Burgh of Campbeltoun" and Andrew Adame who is among the Lowlanders in "Kilcolmkill, Kilblaan and Kilchivan."^[3]

The Snoddy family is said to have fled persecution in the Kyle District of Ayrshire and settled in Larne, County Anrim, intermarrying with the Adams family there. See Jane Adams regarding her marriage to William Snoddy. In the same region of Scotland, around Muirkirk, a William Adam (or Adams) became a Covenanter martyr in February 1685.^[4] See the reference notes below. This is south of Glasgow and not far from Kilmarnock where there are marriages recorded between the Boyd and Adams families. Place names in the Kyle District, found on the "Coila Provincia" map of 1654, include "Adamtoun" (Adamton), east of Monkton, "Adamhil" (Adamhill), northeast of Fail Loch, and "Adamhiltoun" to the north of Fail Loch. Later maps include Adamton Mains, north of Adamton and Adamcroft which is south of Ladyyard.

It is wild speculation that the father of John Adams of Bedminster, New Jersey may have been the Covenanter Robert Adam (or a near relative) of Scotland. See the reference notes below. He was held in the Old Edinburgh Tollbooth for refusing the oath of allegiance and was banished to East New Jersey on the ship 'Henry and Francis' in 1685, as an indentured servant to Lord Neil Campbell.^[5] The latter was the Deputy Governor of East New Jersey and the brother of Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, who was executed for instigating a rebellion against the Crown. Robert Adam (Adams in American records) settled along the Raritan River on Lord Neil Campbell's lands (several miles south of Bedminster) and died intestate in 1688. His estate was administrated by Patrick Falconar. It is also speculation that this Robert Adam, or a close relative, had an unknown son, born circa 1675 that may be the father of Robert Adams (1697-1749) who married Agnes Hubbard (1701-aft. 1765) and died in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They are believed to be the possible parents of William I. Adams (who emigrated from County Antrim to Virginia) of Mercer County, Kentucky.

John Adam, another Covenanter, is mentioned in Scottish Privy Council records as a participant in Argyll's Rebellion. The following is found on page 310 of these records which are cited under sources: "Depositions of prisoners from Glasgow, Edinburgh, 23rd June 1685, John Adam in Ormadale [Ormidale] confesses he wes with the rebells but forced to it; owns the Kings authority and will feight for him against all deadlie." Ormidale is in Argyllshire and a "List of Rebells in Argyll Shyr and Tarbert Shyr" includes Hendrie Adam and John Adame of the "Town of Lochhead or Campbeltown in Kintyre."^[6]The Privy Council records indicate that John Adam was transported by John Ewing to the plantation of Jamaica in America.

Alexander Adam (Adams) was another settler in East New Jersey who came from a Quaker community in Scotland. He was a landholder in Piscataway, having 150 acres that was surveyed by 1690. Colonial records show that he arrived as a servant of John or James Johnstone, brothers of Ochiltree, in December 1685. The Scots and Scot-Irish who came (1685-1700) long after their English counterparts were in sympathy with their Scottish proprietors and had no reason to dispute the quit rents to which they had agreed prior to taking up their holdings. Thus in 1699 when Governor Basse (who had gone to London) was superseded by the Scotsman, Andrew Hamilton, the Scottish and Quaker element rallied to his support, while the anti-proprietary faction resisted. In the summer of 1700, Alexander Adam(s) sat on the grand jury that indicted those who assaulted the Scottish sheriff, John Stewart (who had replaced Daniel Hendrickson) and his assistant, Henry Leonard. Governor Hamilton's authority was challenged in New Jersey and England, on the grounds that he was a Scotsman, and he was eventually removed. This led the way for the Crown to end the proprietary government in New Jersey.

Among the early settlers of Somerset County [see Somerset County Historical Quarterly, 1912] were William, Paul and Samuel Adams, brothers who came from Glasgow, Scotland about 1745. A sister also accompanied them. The brothers first settled on Long Island, and later in Hunterdon County, New Jersey about 1750. The exact locations of William and Paul have not been ascertained. Samuel is known to have descendants that lived at Liberty Corner and Bernardsville in Somerset County. The three served during the Revolutionary War, in Hunterdon militia regiments, so it is evident that they must have been children when coming over from Scotland, and were probably accompanied by their parents, whose names are unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feu_(land_tenure)
2. ↑ Scottish Emigration to Colonial America, 1607-1785, David Dobson, Athens, Georgia, 1994.
3. ↑ The Commons of Argyll, Name-Lists of 1685 and 1692, edited by Duncan C. MacTavish, Lochgilphead, James M. S. Annan, 1935, https://clanmactavish.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/The-Commons-of-Argyll_by-DC-MacTavish.pdf.
4. ↑ Jardine's Book of Martyrs, https://drmarkjardine.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/william-adam-the-wanderer-at-wellwood/
5. ↑ The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, Third Series, Vol. XI, 1685-1686, edited by Henry Paton, Edinburgh, 1929, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112103825636&view=1up&seq=7. See pages 158, 162ff, 336 and 337 regarding Robert Adam. References to a John Adam who was banished to Jamaica are found on pages 126 and 136. A confession of "John Adam in Ormadale" to being forced with Argyll's rebels can be found on page 310. References to Robert Barclay of Urie and George Scott of Pitlochie transporting prisoners to East New Jersey are to be found on the pages between those cited.
6. ↑ The Commons of Argyll, Name-Lists of 1685 and 1692, edited by Duncan C. MacTavish, Lochgilphead, 1935, https://clanmactavish.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/The-Commons-of-Argyll_by-DC-MacTavish.pdf.

• Title: New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817, Author ;Ancestry.com, Publisher  :Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. (2011, Provo, UT, USA)
• Memorial: "Find a Grave", database, Find A Grave: Memorial #77644516 (accessed 26 March 2024), Memorial page for John Adams (1672-12 Jul 1753), citing Lamington Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Lamington, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA; Maintained by A AAA American (contributor 47337652). (No gravestone, linked to wrong parents)
• Genealogy of McGregor Adams Family Worksheet, https://www.geocities.ws/quosac/1adams2.htm.
• Bouley/Boley/Pring/Bowman/Gregory Genealogy, https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bouley&id=I7353.
• Founders of New Jersey, https://www.njfounders.org/sites/default/files/DFNJ 2016 Edition 7-17-16 OGDEN.pdf.
• New Aberdeen, Or, The Scottish Settlement of Monmouth County, New Jersey, James Steen, Matawan, N. J., 1899.

Reference Notes

Notes for William Adam of Muirkirk

Source: Scottish Covenanter Stories, Dane Love, Glasgow, Scotland, 2000.

The Muirkirk area of Ayrshire was a hotbed of Covenanter activity. William Adam was employed as a labourer at Upper Wellwood farm, but was noted for his nonconformity. In March 1685 he was standing by the side of the Proscribe Burn, near to the farm, awaiting his fiancee, a servant lass from a neighboring farm. Whilst he waited he took out his Bible and began to read it. So engrossed did he become that he was unaware of the approaching soldiers under the command of General Thomas Dalyell and Lieutenant Strachan (or Straiton). When the soldiers spotted that he was reading a Bible, Dalyell ordered them to shoot him. Adam was asked no questions, and he was given no time to appeal for his life. After this the soldiers began to ride back towards Muirkirk.

On the way they had to cross a wooden bridge over the infant River Ayr. Halfway across the bridge was a young woman, Adam's fiancee, who was rushing in the opposite direction. She had heard the sound of gunfire a few minutes earlier and feared for her fiancee's life. As she crossed the bridge one of the dragoons tried to push her off the deck with the flat of his sword. Such was her rage that she grabbed the sword and managed to break it into two bits, which she then threw into the water. The dragoon then made to attack the girl, but Dalyell is said to have held him back, laughing at him for being beaten by a 'mere girl'.

She then ran away towards Upper Wellwood where she found her fiancee lying in the grass, dead from a bullet wound. He was buried on the exact spot where he fell.

Although William was a known adherent of the Covenant, it has been surmised that he was actually killed in error for another. The owner of Upper Wellwood at the time was William Campbell, who had two sons, William and John, aged 20 and 18 respectively [This conflicts with a birth date of 1642 for John in other sources]. All were suspected by the local authorities of being Covenanters.

In August 1684 a band of Lord Ross's troopers, under the command of James Irvine of Bonshaw, arrived at the farm, hoping to catch William Campbell. The soldiers had been divided into two, one group searching the surrounding moors, the other heading directly to the farm steading. The group on the moors actually managed to arrest the two sons, in whose pockets Bibles were found. They were taken down the hill to Upper Wellwood, where Irvine of Bonshaw was. They found him in a rage, however, for William Campbell had managed to make an escape.

The farm was plundered in full view of the two lads, and all the valuables were looted by the soldiers. Tying them to the back of two horses, they were taken north to Newmilns where they were placed in goal, where it is recorded they were savagely maltreated by their keepers. On the following Sunday they were transferred to Glasgow and placed on trial. They were asked to pray for the king as head of the church, but time and again they replied that they would pray for the king's soul, but not as head of the church, a place only fit for Jesus Christ. The trial was inconclusive, and they were kept in custody for another week.

The Campbell brothers were then transferred under the command of Lieutenant Murray to Edinburgh, where they were imprisoned in the Canongate Tolbooth. They were questioned by the Pricy Council, who asked whether they had fought at Bothwell Bridge. John replied, 'At that time I was only a young lad of 13 years and had not.' It was said that the clerk to the council minuted the reply thus:

As to Bothwell, the prisoner says, 'I was young then; but had I been old enough I would have been there.'

When the statement was read back to him John refused to sign it and accused the clerk of putting words into his mouth. Despite threats from the authorities he resolutely refused to sign it and was sent back into goal.

William Campbell was questioned separately. The council used the ancient tactic of telling one that the other had already confessed when he hadn't, in the hope that the other would follow suit. In an attempt to find out whether this was true or not, John Campbell tried to smuggle a letter to his brother, the paper taken by Margaret Baird. She was caught with this letter in her possession and the authorities administered the thumbscrews in order to induce a confession from her.

On 13 August the two Campbells and 11 other Covenanters managed to break out of their prison. They used two gimlets, a chisel and a piece of iron to cut their way through the window. One of these escapees was injured as he dropped from the window and a second, surnamed Young, was soon recaptured. The Campbells returned to Muirkirk where they hid on the moors for many months. They met their father, and another William Campbell from Middle Wellwood. They remained in hiding throughout the winter of 1684-5, building for themselves a remote shelter. Some friends brought provisions to them, but most of their food was caught in the wild. On one occasion the hideout was discovered by the soldiers but the Covenanters managed to effect an escape.

William Campbell the younger was eventually released from prison, but he died of consumption in the spring of 1686. John survived until the Glorious Revolution when he was able to raise a troop of dragoons and lead them in Lord Cardross's regiment in the service of William III. Old William survived until 1715.

A list of Covenanters, with source material (see https://thecovenantingtrail.co.uk/A_to_Z_%20-_People-involved_in_the_Covenanting_Years_pp_1_%20-_404.pdf), indicates that John Campbell (b. 1642 - d. 1721) was imprisoned at Dunnottar Castle and was transported on the ship 'Henry and Francis' to New Jersey in 1685, but returned and survived the 'Killing Times.' It notes that his brother William died of prison conditions in 1686 and a James Campbell of Upper Wellwood is also listed as a Covenanter. The other William Campbell of Middle Wellwood (or Mid Wellwood in this list), mentioned above, was also imprisoned at Dunnottar and was transported on the 'Henry and Francis' in 1685. A Robert Campbell was also transported on the Henry and Francis to New Jersey in 1685. These Campbells, who were from the same vicinity as the martyr William Adam of Muirkirk, were transported on the same ship with Robert Adam who had been held in the Old Edinburgh Tolbooth. Perhaps there is a family connection between Robert and William Adam. Hopefully through further research we can learn more about Robert Adam and his origins.

Notes for Robert Adam of Scotland:

Source: The register of the Privy Council of Scotland, Third Series, Vol. XI, 1685-1686, Edited by Henry Paton, Edinburgh, 1929.

"Edinburgh, 20 August 1685. Forasmuch as the persones underwritten viz.:--John and Thomas Millars, John Galbreath, Archibald Caldwell, William Corsan, James McCullie, Andro Huatson, Walter Donaldson, Patrick McGarvie, Hugh McConar, and George Huatson, prisoners in the tolbooth of the Canongate, being conveened befor the Lords of his Majesties Privy Councill at the instance of his Majesties Advocat for severall crimes and irregularities, and they haveing judicially at the barr taken and signed the Test, the saids Lords doe grant and warrant for their liberty; and in regaird ROBERT ADAM and Gilbert Monorgan did obstinately refuse to give any satisfaction, the saids Lords doe hereby remittt them to the Justices to be tryed for their life upon the account forsaid, and continows Abraham Steinson, also called, in prison upon the account he is suspect of murder."

"Edinburgh, 21 August 1685. Forasmuch as Gavin Lockart, James Wilkieson, Abraham Stevenson, ROBERT ADAM, Gilbert Monorgan and Archibald Campble, prisoners, being called befor the Councill as guilty of severall crymes, and the said Gavin Lockart and ROBERT ADAM haveing refused the oath of allegiance, and the said Gilbert Monorgan haveing confesthis being with the late Argyle and humbly craved pardon and haveing suorne the oath of allegiance, the Lords doe, conform to his Majesties late letter, restrict his punishment to banishment, and therfor have banished and hereby banishes them three to his Majesties plantations abroad, and discharges them ever hereafter to return to this kingdom without licence from the King or Councill under the pain of death to be inflicted on them without mercy; and ordaines them to be delivered to Mr George Scott of Pitlochie and by him transported in the ship belonging to him now lying in the road of Leith to the plantation in East New Jersie, upon his finding caution to report a certificat of their landing there from the governour or deputie governour of the place once betuixt and the first day of September 1686 under the penalty of five hundreth merks for each of them in caise of failze. And the saids Lords, haveing also considered the caise of the said James Wilkieson and Archbald Campble who are under sentence of death befor the Justices, and of the said Abraham Steinson suspect guilty of slaughter, doe ordain them to be remanded to and keept in prison untill furder ordor."

In the same source, and among the Miscellaneous Privy Council Papers, A.D. 1 April 1685--18 February 1686, is the transcript of an intercepted letter from ROBERT ADAM:

"Agust 28, 1685 at the Tolbooth of Edinburgh. Worthie Mistress, My dear love to yow and your cumarad and all Christian friends. Your love to me hath been greater than I deserved at your hands since I came to prison. However ville unworthie I cannot requite your love, but I doubt not but the Lord will reward your work and labour to me and others; but O but I think I have slighted the giving a testimony to our Lords truth and that honourable cause now so much trampled upon quhen he was puting ane opertunity into our hand, and truly I think their is so little love we have to our Lord and his truth and cause, if I may without presumption take my self in amongst his and call him ours, but trewly I think I am unworthie to be cast amongst his or to be made to shire with them in their lot, considering quhat his love hath been to me through all my pillgrimage till this day. And alace, how little have I done for him quhen called to it. O for the little love to him in this day quhen for all that we have done against him to provock him that he is still kynd and manifests great love in a tyme of neid. O I think it shall be our grief through all eternity that we have not owned him more and his truth in this day quhen he is putting ane opertunity in our hand to own him quhich every age is not honoured with to give a testimony before the world as we have in our hand tyme and day. And now O that he should tryst me with that favourable dispensation to cast me out of the land amongst his choise ones. O quhat am I to be owned with such a lot. Now I desire to reverence and O that I could adore him whos mercy and love is great even to ville me who is in his hand, and desires to be made willing to be at his disposall. Let him do with me quhat seemeth him good only that he might be pleased to glorifie himself in pardoning my sin and striping me from sin and then let him do quhat pleaseth him. O be earnest with him to get him back again. The blissing if the Lord be upon all that is longing and wrestling to have the Lord brought back again and reconcilled with his people and to revive marriage love again. But alace for my part my sin and slight done to him may make him prolong his coming, but yet somtymes I win to think that he will come gloriously with soveraign free mercy and get glory to himself in coming over great sins and pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin; and blessed are they and will be that waites for him and keepes his way and cannot take pleasure in nothing till they see a blink of his reconcilled face again in Scotland. Pity poor things that is exercised with temptationes and pray for them and study love one with another as because (sic) the followers of that lovely one and close heart walking with him. But O that I could take this to my self but if I should never be admitted to come amongst his yet my soull wold rejoyce in the good of his chosen. And now the blessed presence , peace and consolation of the eternall Lord be with yow and all that loves Jesus Christ in sinceritie and all that stayes behind is the earnest desire of him who wisheth the weilfare of all your soulles in the Lord, ROBERT EDAM."