Daniel Adams (1746 - 1778)

Born 9 Jan 1746 in Medway, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Died 16 Sep 1778 at age 32 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

Daniel was born in 1746. He was the son of Elisha Adams and Rachel Daniel.

He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1774 ^[1].

He married Silence (Wight) Baxter (1743-1817) of Medfield on May 10 1777.

He decided to take up the ministry, and was called to both Princeton and Watertown; he settled on Watertown for his ministry. He was ordained there on the 29th of April 1778. ^[2]

According to Francis, "The settlement of Mr, Adams was regarded by his people as an event of happy promise; but their pleasant hopes were doomed soon to be struck down by the premature death of their pastor. In August following his ordination he fell sick of the dysentery, which was then prevalent, and after a violent and painful illness of about six weeks died, on Wednesday, the 16th of September, in the thirty-third year of his age. His ministry, consequently, was of less than half a year's duration. On the Saturday following his death, he was buried in the tomb of Mr. Capen, one of his parishioners, and his funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Cushino; of Waltham. He was cut off in the morning of usefulness and of hope, and his valuable labors were remembered with a melancholy and touching interest, for the brevity which God was pleased to assign to them."

Francis goes on to say: "The Rev. Daniel Adams was the only son of Elisha Adams, Esq., of Medway, where he was born in January, 1746. He was of the fifth generation from Henry Adams, a Puritan emigrant, who came from Devonshire, England, about the year 1630, and settled in Braintree, now Quincy. He was prepared for college under the tuition of the Rev. Jonathan Townsend of Medfield, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1774. Being then of mature age, he immediately began the study of theology, which he pursued, partly with the Rev. Mr. Bucknam of his native town, and partly with the Rev. Mr. Brown of Sherburne. He was received, as a preacher, with general and high approbation; and about the time when he was called to VVatertown, he also had an invitation to settle at Princeton. Short as was his connexion with his people, he won their confidence and attachment in no common degree ; and those, who now remember him, bear witness to the great respect, in which his services and character were held."

At the time of his death in 1778, his wife Silence was pregnant. She stayed on in Watertown at least until March of 1779, when their son Daniel was born there. At some point she relocated to Medfield, where she married John Baxter (1746-1832).

Sources

1. ↑ The Wights a record of Thomas Wight of Dedham p60
2. ↑ Historical Sketch of Watertown by Convers Francis p108

• Vital Records of Medway, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 p9

• "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28L-Q3Y6 : 22 July 2021), Daniel Adams and Silence Wight, 10 May 1777; citing Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,887,443.

• Francis, Convers. An Historical Sketch of Watertown, in Massachusetts (Metcalf & Co., Cambridge, 1830) Page 109.