William Adams
(1752-1811), a merchant and banker who served several times as Mayor of Totnes
and became the town’s MP and Recorder, bought the Bowden House estate from the
Trist family in about 1800. On Adams’
death, it passed to his elder son, William Dacres Adams (1775-1862), who served
as Private Secretary to two Prime Ministers (Pitt the Younger, 1804-06 and the
Duke of Portland, 1807-09), and who was a Commissioner of Woods & Forests,
1811-34. He married the daughter of
Mayow Wynell Mayow (d. 1807) and through this marriage inherited the Old House
estate at Sydenham (Kent). Bowden House
was occupied by his younger brother, Lt-Gen. Sir George Pownall Adams
(1779-1856), but passed in 1862 to W.D. Adams’ eldest surviving son, the Rev.
Dacres Adams (1806-71). His son, Rev.
William Fulford Adams (1833-1912), sold it to the Singer family in 1887. William was a friend of William Morris and
father of the artist, William Dacres Adams (1864-1951) and the bookbinder
Katherine Adams (later Webb) (1862-1952).
In 1862 Old House, Sydenham passed to W.D. Adams’ third son, Mayow
Wynell Adams (1809-98), who wrote a brief history of Sydenham in 1878; he sold
the land for building from the 1870s onwards and the house was demolished in
1902.
Descent: John Giles MP (c.1487-1552/3);
to son, William Giles (c.1507-?81); to son, John Giles MP (d. 1606); to son,
Sir Edward Giles MP (1566-1637); to first cousin, Richard Giles (1581-1648); to
son, John Giles (d. 1676); to kinswoman, Mary, wife of Sir Richard Gipps, who
sold 1704 to Nicholas Trist (1668-1741); to son, Browse Trist (c.1699-1777); to
son, Hore Browse Trist (c.1736-80); to brother, Rev. Browse Trist (c.1742-91);
to three daughters, who sold c.1800 to William
Adams MP (1752-1811); to son William Dacres Adams (1775-1862); to son, Rev.
Dacres Adams (1806-71); to son, William Fulford Adams (1833-1912), who sold
1887 to Sir Mortimer Singer (d. 1929); sold c.1914 to Montague Bush; sold to
Robert William Campbell-Davidson (fl. 1923) requisitioned for use by US Army in
WW2; used as special school; sold 1960s to Harvey family, who sold 1976 to
Christopher & Belinda Petersen; sold 1990 to Bowden House Community.
Adams, William (1723-89), of Totnes. Son of Rev. Samuel Adams, a nonconformist minister, and his wife Susan, daughter of Bartholomew Parr of Silverton (Devon), baptised at Chudleigh Independent Chapel, 7 April 1723. Surgeon and apothecary in Totnes and a freeman of the borough. He was raised as a nonconformist in religion, but evidently conformed to the Church of England as an adult. He married, 10 December 1750 at Totnes, Mary (1733-97), daughter of William Chadder (1711-1804) of Totnes, and had issue:
(1) William Adams (1752-1811) (q.v.);
(2) Mary Adams (b. 1755), baptised at Totnes, 25 March 1755; married, 23 July 1782 at Totnes, Giles Welsford (1752-1818) of Totnes and Plymouth, merchant (in partnership with his brother-in-law, William Adams (1752-1811), and had issue three sons and two daughters; living in 1839 but death not traced;
(3) Sarah Chadder Adams (1761-1838), baptised at Totnes, 4 March 1761; married, 6 December 1781 at Totnes, James Hodge esq. of Penryn (Cornw.), and had issue at least one son and three daughters; died at Sydenham (Kent), 10 April and was buried at St George, Beckenham (Kent), 16 April 1838;
(4) Susanna Adams (1763-1848), baptised at Totnes, 10 June 1763; married, 3 November 1788 at Totnes, John Parr Welsford (1760-1828) of Beckenham (Kent), banker and secretary to Patriotic Fund and Waterloo subscription; died 22 February 1840; will proved in the PCC, 19 March 1840;
(5) Samuel Adams of Totnes (1769-1842), baptised at Totnes, 1 January 1770; mayor of Totnes, 1809-10; later barrack master at Torquay (Devon) and Hounslow (Middx); lived for a time at Buckfast Abbey (Devon) which he leased from his brothers-in-law (William Searle Bentall and Thornton Bentall); married, 27 January 1800 at Totnes, Elizabeth (1779-1848), daughter of William Bentall (1736-1811) of Totnes, and had issue six sons and three daughters as well as another child who died in infancy; buried at Mitcham (Surrey) 23 June 1842.
He lived in Totnes.
He was buried at Totnes, 7 October 1789; his will was proved at Exeter, 1789. His widow was buried at Totnes, 18 August 1797.
Adams, William (1752-1811). Elder son of William Adams (1723-89) and his wife Mary (née Chadder), born 30 September and baptised at Totnes, 8 October 1752. He seems to have started his career in about 1766 as an employee of a merchant house in Liverpool (Lancs), but soon returned to his home town, where he became a merchant in partnership with his father from 1770-83 and then with his brother-in-law, Giles Welsford, and later also a banker. A freeman of Totnes from 1779. He was a Pittite Tory in politics, and secured election as MP for Plympton Erle 1796-1801 and Totnes 1801-11. He was also Mayor of Totnes 1780-81, 1788-89, 1797-98 and Recorder of Totnes, 1807-11. He married, 25 June 1774 at St George the Martyr, Holborn (Middx), Anna Maria (c.1752-1830), wet nurse to HRH Princess Amelia (1783-1810), and daughter of Richard Dacres of Leatherhead (Surrey), and had issue:
(1) William Dacres Adams (1775-1862) (q.v.);
(2) Sir George Pownall Adams (1778-1856) (q.v.);
(3) Anna Maria Adams (1780-1860), born 26 November 1780 and baptised at Totnes, 31 January 1781; married, 26 November 1799 at Totnes, Baldwin Fulford (1775-1847) of Great Fulford (Devon), and had issue seven sons and nine daughters; died 17 October and was buried at Dunsford, 23 October 1860; will proved 24 November 1860 (effects under £100);
(4) Louisa Sawyer Adams (1783-1867), baptised at Totnes, 25 June 1783; died unmarried and was buried at Sydenham, 16 October 1867.
He purchased the Bowden House estate in Ashprington parish from the Trist family c.1800.
He died 21 September 1811; his will was proved in the PCC in November 1811. His widow died at Bowden House, 19 April 1830.
Adams, William Dacres (1775-1862), of Old House, Sydenham. Elder son of William Adams (1752-1811) and his wife Anna Maria, daughter of Richard Dacres of Leatherhead (Surrey); born December 1775 and baptised at Plymstock (Devon), 14 January 1776. Educated at Moretonhampstead (Devon). A clerk in the Home Office from 1791, who served as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister (Pitt the Younger, 1804-06; Duke of Portland, 1807-09); Commissioner of Woods and Forests 1811-34. A freeman of Totnes from 1798. A friend of Sir Thomas Lawrence, who painted his portrait c.1810. He married, 10 March 1804 at St Andrew, Holborn (Middx), Elizabeth (d. 1814), second daughter of Mayow Wynell Mayow (1753-1807) of Sydenham (Kent) and had issue:
Bowden House, Totnes, Devon
 |
| Bowden House © Hamid van Koten |
An early 16th century manor house built for John Giles,
which was remodelled for Nicholas Trist in 1700-04 or 1722 to create handsome
two storey east and south fronts with stone cornices and sash windows. The nine bay south front has a 2-5-2 rhythm,
giant pilasters framing the two bays at either end and the central bay, and a
central pedimented doorcase. The seven
bay east front has a 2-3-2 rhythm with giant pilasters framing the two-bay end
sections. These handsome frontages
however conceal the complicated remains of the older house, with a Tudor great
hall lying in the angle of the two later wings.
Inside, the east front has a richly if rather provincially Baroque entrance hall at its centre, the long axis of which is at right-angles to the facade. On the wall opposite the windows, giant pilasters flank arched niches with full-length grisaille figures and a central doorway with open pediment and bust. The long side walls have niches with shells and medallions above of Charles I (dated 1735) and Elizabeth I. On the south side a broad coffered doorway leads to the staircase hall, with a good 18th century staircase around a well, with turned balusters, column newels and a ramped handrail; the fireplace opposite, not centrally placed, has a grand but rather chaotic overmantel. The plaster ceiling has a lively very large but low-relief figure of Mercury in a central panel, Victory and Pegasus in cartouches, putti in roundels and mythological scenes in rectangles; the disparate scales of the different elements are reminiscent of the entrance hall at Saltram. Next to the staircase hall in the south wing is reused 16th century panelling and an imported wooden overmantel elaborately carved with the arms of the 2nd Earl of Bedford (d. 1585) flanked by high-relief figures of Judith and Holofernes. From here a four-centred doorway leads into the former screens passage and the older part of the house. The former great hall, now the Old Kitchen, has a late 16th century single-rib plaster ceiling and the remains of a Pegasus frieze. The fabric of the hall is possibly older than the ceiling, as from this part of the house projects a much rebuilt north wing with an early Tudor wall painting on the upper floor. Upstairs there is early 18th century panelling in the central room on the east front, and another panelled room and closet in the south range. The house is now an alternative community, and the service wings and outbuildings have been much altered to create holiday flats. The grounds may have been landscaped c.1788, when Rev. Browse Trist was given permission to divert a road further away from the house.
Inside, the east front has a richly if rather provincially Baroque entrance hall at its centre, the long axis of which is at right-angles to the facade. On the wall opposite the windows, giant pilasters flank arched niches with full-length grisaille figures and a central doorway with open pediment and bust. The long side walls have niches with shells and medallions above of Charles I (dated 1735) and Elizabeth I. On the south side a broad coffered doorway leads to the staircase hall, with a good 18th century staircase around a well, with turned balusters, column newels and a ramped handrail; the fireplace opposite, not centrally placed, has a grand but rather chaotic overmantel. The plaster ceiling has a lively very large but low-relief figure of Mercury in a central panel, Victory and Pegasus in cartouches, putti in roundels and mythological scenes in rectangles; the disparate scales of the different elements are reminiscent of the entrance hall at Saltram. Next to the staircase hall in the south wing is reused 16th century panelling and an imported wooden overmantel elaborately carved with the arms of the 2nd Earl of Bedford (d. 1585) flanked by high-relief figures of Judith and Holofernes. From here a four-centred doorway leads into the former screens passage and the older part of the house. The former great hall, now the Old Kitchen, has a late 16th century single-rib plaster ceiling and the remains of a Pegasus frieze. The fabric of the hall is possibly older than the ceiling, as from this part of the house projects a much rebuilt north wing with an early Tudor wall painting on the upper floor. Upstairs there is early 18th century panelling in the central room on the east front, and another panelled room and closet in the south range. The house is now an alternative community, and the service wings and outbuildings have been much altered to create holiday flats. The grounds may have been landscaped c.1788, when Rev. Browse Trist was given permission to divert a road further away from the house.
Old House, Sydenham, Kent
 |
| Old House, Sydenham c.1895 Image Ideal Homes |
A
substantial but plain five bay three storey early Georgian villa with a low
pitched roof concealed by a parapet, probably built c.1715 for Edward Hodsdon,
a London wine merchant. It was the
centre of the largest private estate in Sydenham, and although outlying
portions of the estate were developed from c.1860 the house itself survived
largely unaltered, with grounds of 110 acres, until it was demolished for
development in 1902.
Descent: Sold
1713 to Edward Hodsdon (d. 1737), wine merchant; to son, Edward Hodsdon (d.
1739); to brother, Thomas Hodsdon (d. 1766); to widow, Susanna Hodsdon (d.
1773); sold by her trustees 1786 to Mayow
Wynell Mayow (d. 1807); to daughter, Elizabeth Mayow, wife of William Dacres
Adams (1775-1862); to son, Mayow Wynell Adams (1809-98), who broke up the
estate; the house sold by auction in 1900 to Edmondson & Sons, developers.
The Adams family of Bowden House and Old House, Sydenham
Adams, William (1723-89), of Totnes. Son of Rev. Samuel Adams, a nonconformist minister, and his wife Susan, daughter of Bartholomew Parr of Silverton (Devon), baptised at Chudleigh Independent Chapel, 7 April 1723. Surgeon and apothecary in Totnes and a freeman of the borough. He was raised as a nonconformist in religion, but evidently conformed to the Church of England as an adult. He married, 10 December 1750 at Totnes, Mary (1733-97), daughter of William Chadder (1711-1804) of Totnes, and had issue:
(1) William Adams (1752-1811) (q.v.);
(2) Mary Adams (b. 1755), baptised at Totnes, 25 March 1755; married, 23 July 1782 at Totnes, Giles Welsford (1752-1818) of Totnes and Plymouth, merchant (in partnership with his brother-in-law, William Adams (1752-1811), and had issue three sons and two daughters; living in 1839 but death not traced;
(3) Sarah Chadder Adams (1761-1838), baptised at Totnes, 4 March 1761; married, 6 December 1781 at Totnes, James Hodge esq. of Penryn (Cornw.), and had issue at least one son and three daughters; died at Sydenham (Kent), 10 April and was buried at St George, Beckenham (Kent), 16 April 1838;
(4) Susanna Adams (1763-1848), baptised at Totnes, 10 June 1763; married, 3 November 1788 at Totnes, John Parr Welsford (1760-1828) of Beckenham (Kent), banker and secretary to Patriotic Fund and Waterloo subscription; died 22 February 1840; will proved in the PCC, 19 March 1840;
(5) Samuel Adams of Totnes (1769-1842), baptised at Totnes, 1 January 1770; mayor of Totnes, 1809-10; later barrack master at Torquay (Devon) and Hounslow (Middx); lived for a time at Buckfast Abbey (Devon) which he leased from his brothers-in-law (William Searle Bentall and Thornton Bentall); married, 27 January 1800 at Totnes, Elizabeth (1779-1848), daughter of William Bentall (1736-1811) of Totnes, and had issue six sons and three daughters as well as another child who died in infancy; buried at Mitcham (Surrey) 23 June 1842.
He lived in Totnes.
He was buried at Totnes, 7 October 1789; his will was proved at Exeter, 1789. His widow was buried at Totnes, 18 August 1797.
Adams, William (1752-1811). Elder son of William Adams (1723-89) and his wife Mary (née Chadder), born 30 September and baptised at Totnes, 8 October 1752. He seems to have started his career in about 1766 as an employee of a merchant house in Liverpool (Lancs), but soon returned to his home town, where he became a merchant in partnership with his father from 1770-83 and then with his brother-in-law, Giles Welsford, and later also a banker. A freeman of Totnes from 1779. He was a Pittite Tory in politics, and secured election as MP for Plympton Erle 1796-1801 and Totnes 1801-11. He was also Mayor of Totnes 1780-81, 1788-89, 1797-98 and Recorder of Totnes, 1807-11. He married, 25 June 1774 at St George the Martyr, Holborn (Middx), Anna Maria (c.1752-1830), wet nurse to HRH Princess Amelia (1783-1810), and daughter of Richard Dacres of Leatherhead (Surrey), and had issue:
(1) William Dacres Adams (1775-1862) (q.v.);
(2) Sir George Pownall Adams (1778-1856) (q.v.);
(3) Anna Maria Adams (1780-1860), born 26 November 1780 and baptised at Totnes, 31 January 1781; married, 26 November 1799 at Totnes, Baldwin Fulford (1775-1847) of Great Fulford (Devon), and had issue seven sons and nine daughters; died 17 October and was buried at Dunsford, 23 October 1860; will proved 24 November 1860 (effects under £100);
(4) Louisa Sawyer Adams (1783-1867), baptised at Totnes, 25 June 1783; died unmarried and was buried at Sydenham, 16 October 1867.
He purchased the Bowden House estate in Ashprington parish from the Trist family c.1800.
He died 21 September 1811; his will was proved in the PCC in November 1811. His widow died at Bowden House, 19 April 1830.
 |
| William Dacres Adams by Sir Thomas Lawrence, c.1810. Image from Philip Mould Ltd. |
(1) William Pitt Adams (1804-52), born 11 December 1804 and baptised at St Margaret, Westminster (Middx), 16 January 1805; educated at Oriel College, Oxford (matriculated 1823); diplomat who served at the embassies in Colombia and Mexico before becoming consul-general at Lima (Peru); had a relationship with Maria de Jesus Vasquez in Bogota (Colombia) and had issue two illegitimate daughters, before he married, 16 September 1847 at Fulham (Middx), Georgiana Emily (1815-92), (who married 2nd, 2 January 1855, Gen. Sir Henry Warre KCB (1819-98), son of Lt-Gen. Sir William Warre (1784-1853)), daughter of Robert Lukin esq, and had issue a daughter; died at Lima (Peru), 1 September 1852;
(2) Rev. Dacres Adams (1806-71) (q.v.);
(3) Mayow Wynell Adams (1808-98) (q.v.);
(4) Isabella (k/a Eliza) Mary Adams (1811-91), born 27 April and baptised at St James, Piccadilly, Westminster (Middx), 1 June 1811; died unmarried at Sydenham, 6 September 1891;
(3) Mayow Wynell Adams (1808-98) (q.v.);
(4) Isabella (k/a Eliza) Mary Adams (1811-91), born 27 April and baptised at St James, Piccadilly, Westminster (Middx), 1 June 1811; died unmarried at Sydenham, 6 September 1891;
(5) Rev. Herbert George Adams (1814-51), born 23 January 1814 and baptised at St Mary, Lewisham (Kent), 15 June 1815; educated at Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1832; BA 1836; MA 1839); ordained deacon, 1837, and priest, 1838; vicar of Dunsford (Devon), 1839-44 and of Cornwood (Devon), 1844-51; married, 3 August 1842 at Dunsford (Devon), Eleanor (1819-1900), daughter of Baldwin Fulford of Great Fulford (Devon), and had issue three sons and one daughter; died 25 November 1851 and was buried at Ashprington (Devon).
He inherited the Bowden House estate from his father in 1811; and in right of his wife the Old House, Sydenham estate in 1807, and lived at Sydenham. Bowden House was occupied by his younger brother and later by his eldest son (who predeceased him). At his death Bowden House passed to his second son and the Sydenham property to his third son.
He died 8 June 1862, aged 86 and was buried at Sydenham, 14 June 1862, where he is commemorated by a monument in the churchyard; his will was proved 29 August 1862 (estate under £35,000). His wife died in London, 4 February 1814.
Adams, Gen. Sir George Pownoll KCH (1778-1856) of Bowden House. Second son of William Adams (1752-1811) and his wife Anna Maria, daughter of Richard Dacres of Leatherhead (Surrey); born about December 1778 and baptised at Totnes (Devon), 1 January 1779. An officer in the army (Cornet, 1795; Lt., 1796; Capt., 1797; Maj., 1802; Lt-Col., 1804; Col., 1813; Maj-Gen., 1819; Lt.-Gen., 1837 and Gen., 1851); appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, 1831. Colonel of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, 1840-56. He was a freeman of Totnes from 1800 and Mayor of Totnes, 1828-29. A Conservative in politics, he stood unsuccessfully for election in Totnes at the 1837 general election. He married 1st, 8 November 1804 at Totnes, Elizabeth Lovelace; 2nd, by 1809, Catherine Eleanor [surname unknown]; 3rd, October 1818, Sophia Wise of Loddiswell (Devon); and 4th, 23 July 1821 at Buckland Monachorum (Devon), Elizabeth (1782-1857), second daughter and heiress of Sir William Elford (1747-1837), 1st bt., of Bickham, and had issue:
He inherited the Bowden House estate from his father in 1811; and in right of his wife the Old House, Sydenham estate in 1807, and lived at Sydenham. Bowden House was occupied by his younger brother and later by his eldest son (who predeceased him). At his death Bowden House passed to his second son and the Sydenham property to his third son.
He died 8 June 1862, aged 86 and was buried at Sydenham, 14 June 1862, where he is commemorated by a monument in the churchyard; his will was proved 29 August 1862 (estate under £35,000). His wife died in London, 4 February 1814.
Adams, Gen. Sir George Pownoll KCH (1778-1856) of Bowden House. Second son of William Adams (1752-1811) and his wife Anna Maria, daughter of Richard Dacres of Leatherhead (Surrey); born about December 1778 and baptised at Totnes (Devon), 1 January 1779. An officer in the army (Cornet, 1795; Lt., 1796; Capt., 1797; Maj., 1802; Lt-Col., 1804; Col., 1813; Maj-Gen., 1819; Lt.-Gen., 1837 and Gen., 1851); appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, 1831. Colonel of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, 1840-56. He was a freeman of Totnes from 1800 and Mayor of Totnes, 1828-29. A Conservative in politics, he stood unsuccessfully for election in Totnes at the 1837 general election. He married 1st, 8 November 1804 at Totnes, Elizabeth Lovelace; 2nd, by 1809, Catherine Eleanor [surname unknown]; 3rd, October 1818, Sophia Wise of Loddiswell (Devon); and 4th, 23 July 1821 at Buckland Monachorum (Devon), Elizabeth (1782-1857), second daughter and heiress of Sir William Elford (1747-1837), 1st bt., of Bickham, and had issue:
(2.1) George William Adams (1808-10), born at Bangalore (India), about November 1808; died in infancy and was buried at Bangalore, 12 May 1810;
(4.1) Capt. William Elford Adams (1822-56), born 10 June 1822; an officer in the army (2nd Lt., 1842; Lt., 1844; Capt., 1849); married, 17 April 1849 at St Swithin, Walcot, Bath (Som.), Anna Maria (1829-1904), daughter of Patrick Bannerman of Aberdeen, and had issue one daughter; died at Fort Hare, Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), 23 September 1856;
(4.1) Capt. William Elford Adams (1822-56), born 10 June 1822; an officer in the army (2nd Lt., 1842; Lt., 1844; Capt., 1849); married, 17 April 1849 at St Swithin, Walcot, Bath (Som.), Anna Maria (1829-1904), daughter of Patrick Bannerman of Aberdeen, and had issue one daughter; died at Fort Hare, Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), 23 September 1856;
(4.2) Rev. George Dacres Adams (1824-89), baptised at Asprington (Devon), 9 March 1824; educated at Balliol and Exeter Colleges, Oxford (matriculated 1842; BA 1848); ordained deacon, 1848 and priest, 1849; domestic chaplain to the Earl of Kintore, 1849; vicar of East Budleigh with Budleigh Salterton (Devon), 1852-84; married, 30 June 1857 at East Budleigh, Elizabeth Agnes Saint (1820-95), daughter of Rev. Charles Thomas Pattrick of Ackleton (Shrops.), but died without issue; buried at Dawlish (Devon), 17 January 1889; administration of goods granted to his widow, 21 February 1889 (effects £363);
(4.3) Arthur Fulford Adams (1825-85), born 6 April and baptised at Ashprington, 26 May 1825; commissary-general in the army; married, 11 November 1847, Henrietta (1824-1900), second daughter of William Flockhart Bowman (1785-1855), deputy commissary-general at Malta, but had no issue; died at Great Malvern (Worcs), 13 October, and was buried at Littleham (Devon), 16 October 1885; will proved 13 November 1885 (effects £521);
(4.4) Henry Cranstoun Adams (1826-1911), born 25 November 1826; educated at Blundell's School and Kings College, London; articled clerk to Edwards Beadon and Henry Sweet, solicitors, 1844; solicitor in private practice at Exmouth (Devon), 1849-1911; clerk to Exmouth Local Board of Health and its successor, Exmouth Urban District Council, c.1850-1911 and clerk to justices for Woodbury Petty Sessions division of Devon, c.1860-1911; an officer in the West Somerset Yeomanry Cavalry (Cornet, 1845; Capt. by 1866) and Devon Artillery Volunteers (Lt-Col., 1866; retired as Colonel, 1896); lived at Lion House, Exmouth (Devon); a Conservative in politics and a freemason; married, 27 November 1849 at Bishops Hull (Som.), Matilda Winslow (1828-1913), third daughter of Thomas Patton of Bishops Hull House, and had issue two sons and one daughter; died 29 September, and was buried at Littleham (Devon), 2 October 1911; will proved 20 December 1911 (estate £9,658).
(4.3) Arthur Fulford Adams (1825-85), born 6 April and baptised at Ashprington, 26 May 1825; commissary-general in the army; married, 11 November 1847, Henrietta (1824-1900), second daughter of William Flockhart Bowman (1785-1855), deputy commissary-general at Malta, but had no issue; died at Great Malvern (Worcs), 13 October, and was buried at Littleham (Devon), 16 October 1885; will proved 13 November 1885 (effects £521);
(4.4) Henry Cranstoun Adams (1826-1911), born 25 November 1826; educated at Blundell's School and Kings College, London; articled clerk to Edwards Beadon and Henry Sweet, solicitors, 1844; solicitor in private practice at Exmouth (Devon), 1849-1911; clerk to Exmouth Local Board of Health and its successor, Exmouth Urban District Council, c.1850-1911 and clerk to justices for Woodbury Petty Sessions division of Devon, c.1860-1911; an officer in the West Somerset Yeomanry Cavalry (Cornet, 1845; Capt. by 1866) and Devon Artillery Volunteers (Lt-Col., 1866; retired as Colonel, 1896); lived at Lion House, Exmouth (Devon); a Conservative in politics and a freemason; married, 27 November 1849 at Bishops Hull (Som.), Matilda Winslow (1828-1913), third daughter of Thomas Patton of Bishops Hull House, and had issue two sons and one daughter; died 29 September, and was buried at Littleham (Devon), 2 October 1911; will proved 20 December 1911 (estate £9,658).
He lived at Bowden House, Totnes, which was owned by his brother, and later at Ashprington House (Devon). He may have inherited property at Buckland Monachorum in right of his wife.
He died at Temple Hill, East Budleigh (Devon), 10 June, and was buried at East Budleigh, 14 June 1856; his will was proved in the PCC, 30 June 1856. His first wife probably died in India in or before 1808; her burial has not been traced. His second wife died 14 March 1813 and was buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery at Bangalore. His widow died 28 February, and was buried at East Budleigh, 5 March 1857.
Adams, Rev. Dacres (1806-71) of Bowden House. Second but eldest surviving son of William Dacres Adams (1775-1862) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Mayow Wynell Mayow of Sydenham (Kent), born 26 July and baptised at Totnes (Devon), 4 October 1806. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1824, BA 1827; MA 1832). Ordained deacon, 1829 and priest, 1830. Curate of Stokeinteignhead (Devon), 1829-37, Vicar of Bampton (Oxon), 1837-71 and Rural Dean of Witney. JP for Oxfordshire; Chairman of Witney Board of Guardians. He married, 15 August 1832 at Dunsford (Devon), his cousin, Anna Maria (1806-96), daughter of Baldwin Fulford esq. of Great Fulford, and had issue:
(1) Rev. William Fulford Adams (1833-1909) (q.v.)
(2) Philip Dacres Adams (1835-81), baptised at Pinhoe (Devon), 31 May 1835; clerk in the General Post Office; married 1st, 3 October 1865 at Hursley (Hants), Catherine Margaret (1840-73), daughter of Rev. John William Richards; married 2nd, 28 April 1877 at St Gluvais (Cornw), Jane (1840-80), daughter of Charles Duncan Amyatt Newman RN (1805-47), and had issue one son and one daughter; died 22 April 1881; will proved 26 May 1881 (effects under £3,000).
He inherited the Bowden House estate from his father in 1862.
He died 8 December, and was buried at Bampton (Oxon), 14 December 1871; his will was proved 3 February 1872 (effects under £7000). His widow died at Sydenham (Kent), 5 June 1896; her will was proved 26 June 1896 (effects £4,854).
Adams, Rev. William Fulford (1833-1921), of Bowden House. Elder son of Rev. Dacres Adams (1806-71) and his wife Anna Maria, daughter of Baldwin Fulford of Great Fulford (Devon), born 19 July and baptised at Pinhoe (Devon), 11 September 1833. Educated at Marlborough and Exeter Coll, Oxford (matriculated 1852; BA 1856; MA 1859). Ordained deacon, 1857 and priest, 1858. Curate of Bromsgrove, 1857-59, Easthampstead (Berks), 1859-61, and Wokingham (Berks), 1861-64; Vicar of Little Faringdon (Oxon), 1864-1901; Rector of Weston-sub-Edge (Glos), 1901-16. A friend of William Morris. He married, 13 November 1859 at Bromsgrove (Worcs), Catherine Mary (1830-1912), daughter of Thomas Horton of Bromsgrove, and had issue:
(1) Margaret Adams (1860-74), baptised at Bampton (Oxon), 14 October 1860; died young and was buried at Little Faringdon (Oxon), 27 May 1874;
(2) Katharine Adams (1862-1952), born 16 February 1862; bookbinder who established the Eadburgha Bindery at Lechlade (Glos) and later Islip (Oxon) and was frequently commissioned by private presses and collectors such as Emery Walker and Sydney Cockerell; a founder member and eventual president of the Women's Guild of Arts from 1907; elected FRSA, 1938; married, 25 November 1913, Edmund James Webb (1852-1945), son of Rev. Benjamin Webb, but had no issue; died 15 October and was buried at St. Briavels (Glos), 18 October 1952; will proved 23 January 1953 (estate £22,846);
He died at Temple Hill, East Budleigh (Devon), 10 June, and was buried at East Budleigh, 14 June 1856; his will was proved in the PCC, 30 June 1856. His first wife probably died in India in or before 1808; her burial has not been traced. His second wife died 14 March 1813 and was buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery at Bangalore. His widow died 28 February, and was buried at East Budleigh, 5 March 1857.
Adams, Rev. Dacres (1806-71) of Bowden House. Second but eldest surviving son of William Dacres Adams (1775-1862) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Mayow Wynell Mayow of Sydenham (Kent), born 26 July and baptised at Totnes (Devon), 4 October 1806. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1824, BA 1827; MA 1832). Ordained deacon, 1829 and priest, 1830. Curate of Stokeinteignhead (Devon), 1829-37, Vicar of Bampton (Oxon), 1837-71 and Rural Dean of Witney. JP for Oxfordshire; Chairman of Witney Board of Guardians. He married, 15 August 1832 at Dunsford (Devon), his cousin, Anna Maria (1806-96), daughter of Baldwin Fulford esq. of Great Fulford, and had issue:
(1) Rev. William Fulford Adams (1833-1909) (q.v.)
(2) Philip Dacres Adams (1835-81), baptised at Pinhoe (Devon), 31 May 1835; clerk in the General Post Office; married 1st, 3 October 1865 at Hursley (Hants), Catherine Margaret (1840-73), daughter of Rev. John William Richards; married 2nd, 28 April 1877 at St Gluvais (Cornw), Jane (1840-80), daughter of Charles Duncan Amyatt Newman RN (1805-47), and had issue one son and one daughter; died 22 April 1881; will proved 26 May 1881 (effects under £3,000).
He inherited the Bowden House estate from his father in 1862.
He died 8 December, and was buried at Bampton (Oxon), 14 December 1871; his will was proved 3 February 1872 (effects under £7000). His widow died at Sydenham (Kent), 5 June 1896; her will was proved 26 June 1896 (effects £4,854).
Adams, Rev. William Fulford (1833-1921), of Bowden House. Elder son of Rev. Dacres Adams (1806-71) and his wife Anna Maria, daughter of Baldwin Fulford of Great Fulford (Devon), born 19 July and baptised at Pinhoe (Devon), 11 September 1833. Educated at Marlborough and Exeter Coll, Oxford (matriculated 1852; BA 1856; MA 1859). Ordained deacon, 1857 and priest, 1858. Curate of Bromsgrove, 1857-59, Easthampstead (Berks), 1859-61, and Wokingham (Berks), 1861-64; Vicar of Little Faringdon (Oxon), 1864-1901; Rector of Weston-sub-Edge (Glos), 1901-16. A friend of William Morris. He married, 13 November 1859 at Bromsgrove (Worcs), Catherine Mary (1830-1912), daughter of Thomas Horton of Bromsgrove, and had issue:
(1) Margaret Adams (1860-74), baptised at Bampton (Oxon), 14 October 1860; died young and was buried at Little Faringdon (Oxon), 27 May 1874;
(2) Katharine Adams (1862-1952), born 16 February 1862; bookbinder who established the Eadburgha Bindery at Lechlade (Glos) and later Islip (Oxon) and was frequently commissioned by private presses and collectors such as Emery Walker and Sydney Cockerell; a founder member and eventual president of the Women's Guild of Arts from 1907; elected FRSA, 1938; married, 25 November 1913, Edmund James Webb (1852-1945), son of Rev. Benjamin Webb, but had no issue; died 15 October and was buried at St. Briavels (Glos), 18 October 1952; will proved 23 January 1953 (estate £22,846);
(3) William Dacres Adams (1864-1951), born 19 August 1864; educated at Radley (Berks), Exeter College, Oxford (matriculated 1883), Birmingham School of Art, Sir Hubert Herkomer's Bushey School of Art (Herts) and in Munich (Germany); artist and lithographer, chiefly of haunting landscapes and portraits; lived at Lechlade (Glos), London and latterly at Lewes (Sussex); married 1st, 16 October 1899 at Dorchester Abbey (Oxon), Regina Emelina Clark (1874-1940), daughter of Rev. Edward Clark Houghton of New York and had issue one son and one daughter; married 2nd, 29 April 1940 at St Barnabas, Kensington (Middx), Millicent Etheldreda (1873-1963), artist, daughter of Col. Horace William Gray; died 17 August 1951; will proved 16 October 1951 (estate £862);
(4) Winifred Mary Adams (1867-68), baptised at Little Faringdon (Oxon), 25 July 1867; died in infancy and was buried at Little Faringdon, 25 September 1868.
He inherited the Bowden House estate from his father in 1871 but probably never lived there and sold it in 1887 to the Singer family.
He died at Islip (Oxon), 7 February 1921, and was buried at Weston-sub-Edge; his will was proved 22 April 1921 (estate £4,609). His wife was buried at Weston-sub-Edge, 18 December 1912.
Adams, Mayow Wynell (1808-98), of Old House, Sydenham. Third son of William Dacres Adams (1775-1862) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Mayow Wynell Mayow of Sydenham (Kent), born 11 October 1808 and baptised at St James, Piccadilly, Westminster (Middx), 13 May 1809. Author of A short history of Sydenham, 1878; JP for London and Kent. He married, 19 May 1841 at Lakenham (Norfk), Anna Maria (1809-95), only daughter of Major Edward Hodge (1782-1815), who was killed on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo; and had issue:
(1) Edith Maria Adams (1843-71), born 1 December and privately baptised at Sydenham, 4 December 1843; married, 9 November 1865 Edward Rowe Fisher (1832-1909) of Thorncombe near Guildford (Surrey) (who m2, 29 July 1874, Lady Victoria Isabella Liddell, daughter of Henry Thomas Liddell, 1st Earl of Ravensworth), and had issue two sons and one daughter; died at Folkestone (Kent), 9 October and was buried at Bramley (Surrey), 16 October 1871.
He inherited the Old House, Sydenham from his father in 1862, but sold off the estate for building. The house itself was sold after his death.
He died 18 February 1898 and was buried at Sydenham, where he is commemorated by a monument in the churchyard; his will was proved 25 March 1898 (estate £56,341. His wife died 23 February 1895 and was buried at Sydenham; administration of her goods was granted 4 April 1895 (estate £29).
He inherited the Bowden House estate from his father in 1871 but probably never lived there and sold it in 1887 to the Singer family.
He died at Islip (Oxon), 7 February 1921, and was buried at Weston-sub-Edge; his will was proved 22 April 1921 (estate £4,609). His wife was buried at Weston-sub-Edge, 18 December 1912.
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| Mayow Wynell Adams Image South London Guide |
(1) Edith Maria Adams (1843-71), born 1 December and privately baptised at Sydenham, 4 December 1843; married, 9 November 1865 Edward Rowe Fisher (1832-1909) of Thorncombe near Guildford (Surrey) (who m2, 29 July 1874, Lady Victoria Isabella Liddell, daughter of Henry Thomas Liddell, 1st Earl of Ravensworth), and had issue two sons and one daughter; died at Folkestone (Kent), 9 October and was buried at Bramley (Surrey), 16 October 1871.
He inherited the Old House, Sydenham from his father in 1862, but sold off the estate for building. The house itself was sold after his death.
He died 18 February 1898 and was buried at Sydenham, where he is commemorated by a monument in the churchyard; his will was proved 25 March 1898 (estate £56,341. His wife died 23 February 1895 and was buried at Sydenham; administration of her goods was granted 4 April 1895 (estate £29).
Principal sources
Burke's Landed Gentry, 1850, p.6; B. Cherry & Sir N. Pevsner, The buildings of England: Devon, 2nd edn, 1989, pp. 195-96; http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/SydenhamThorpesConservationAreaCharacterAppraisalPart2.pdf, accessed 27 August 2012;http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/lewisham/assets/galleries/sydenham/the-old-house, accessed 24 April 2013;
http://sydenhamforesthillhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2008_11_01_archive.html, accessed 24 April 2013.
Thank you and well spotted! This is indeed the material recorded in my original posting as in private hands, and I will amend my account accordingly.
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