William Adams (1752–1811)

For other people named William Adams, see William Adams (disambiguation).

William Adams (30 September 1752 – 21 September 1811)[1] was a British merchant and Tory[2] politician.

He was the eldest son of William Adams of Totnes, Devon. He was made Mayor of Totnes for 1780–81, 1788–89 and 1797–98 and served as town Recorder from 1807 to 1811.[3]

He was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Plympton Erle in 1796. He resigned that seat to be elected MP for Totnes in Devon, his native town, at a by-election in June 1801,[2] and was returned unopposed to the House of Commons at the next three general elections, holding the seat until his death in 1811 at the age of 58.[2][4]

He married Anna Maria Dacres in 1774. She was a daughter of Richard Dacres of Leatherhead, Surrey and wet nurse to Princess Amelia, and by her he had two sons and two daughters. In 1810[5] he was living in Bowden House, Ashprington, near Totnes, which he had purchased from the Trist family in about 1800.[6]

References

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)
  2. ^ a b c Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 80. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  3. ^ "ADAMS, William (1752-1811), of Bowden, nr. Totnes, Devon". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  4. ^ The House of Commons, 1790-1820, Volume 1 by R. G. Thorne, p. 38.]
  5. ^ Risdon, Tristram (died 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.380
  6. ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.195
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle
1796–1800
With: William Mitchell 1796–99
Richard Hankey from 1799 		Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Parliament of Great Britain
 Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle
January 1801 – July 1801
With: Richard Hankey 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Totnes
1801–1811
With: The Lord Arden to 1802
John Berkeley Burland 1802–1804
Vicary Gibbs 1804–1806
Benjamin Hall from 1806 		Succeeded by


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