James Adams, of Concord

James Adams

• Born about 19 Jan 1622 in Stirlingshire, Scotland
• Died 2 Dec 1707 in Concord, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay
• Husband of Priscilla (Ramsdell) Adams — married 7 May 1662 in Lynn, Essex, MA
• Husband of Priscilla (Shore) Adams — married 17 Feb 1691 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts
• Father of Priscilla (Adams of Concord) Adams, Elizabeth (Adams) Lamson, James Adams Jr., Elizabeth (Adams) Grimball, Hannah (Adams) Russell, John Adams, Nathaniel Adams, Dorcas Adams, Richard Adams and Abigail Adams

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adams-819

John Adams/Addams was born in Scotland abt. 19 Jan 1622. (Nothing has been found on his parents or ancestry. The birth date of 1640, listed in many sources is unlikely, given that he was a prisoner in battle in Sept 1650.)

Ancestor of actor Jon Cryer [1] [2]

One tree on Familiysearch gives names of parents as Johne Adamesone b. 1616 and Jonet Gillespie b. 1615 listing sources as Praseller Ramesden, [3] [4] [5]

In 1650, as one of Cromwell's Scot prisoners at the battle of Dunbar. [6]

He worked with both John Gifford's & Daniel Salmon's teams carting for the Saugus Iron Works. “About 17 Scots were subcontracted to the colliers (charcoal makers) and other plant workers. Accounting records show that a few of the Scots received wages from the Company for skilled work. For example, James Adams was paid for managing ox teams; …Scots James Adams, George Darling, Malcolm Maccallum, John Mackshane and John Pardee ran the ironworks farming operation.” [7]

In 1653 he was sold as a prisoner of war to the Lynn Irons Works by the British government, being sent to North America on the "Unity" with 35 other Scots. [8]

In 1656, he sued Samuell Bennett for taking away his cart & wheels, & Nicholas Pinnion for debt.

6 Jan 1657 he (as James Adamos) contributed to the founding of the Scots Charitable Society (earliest charitable organization "in the western hemisphere").

On 7 May 1662, Scottish ironworker James Adams/Addams married in Concord, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts to Priscilla Ramsdell, daughter (b. abt. 1640 in Concord) of John Ramsdell, a part-time employee of Saugus and a man later connected to the Rowley Village ironworks). [9] [10] [11]

James and Priscilla had 9 children: [12]

1. Presila ADAMS 1663-1707 LZF4-1XZ
2. Elizabeth Adams 1665-1710 L7BV-J8Q
3. James Adams 1668-1741 LDJ6-KH2
4. Hannah ADAMS 1670-1727 LJV4-ZXG
5. John Adams 1672-1730 LDJ6-KCX
6. INFANT Son Adams 1674-Deceased MLKN-3GZ ​
7. Nathaniel Adams 1674-1707 L4WT-73L
8. Daughter ADAMS 1676-1676 KGMT-34W
9. Richard Adams 1678-1749 LVJQ-LRB
10. Abigail Adams 1681-1707 LDJ6-KZX
11. Dorcas Adams 1703-1785L4QY-S93 [13]

On 17 February 1690/91 in Concord, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts he 'married second Priscilla Hawthorne (widow of Jonathan Shore), daughter of John Hawthorne. [14]. NO: Jonathan Shore (born 1649 - died 14 Aug 1724). So it was her daughter (also called Priscilla Shore) who was his second wife.

30 Nov 1700 James Adams Sr. sold land (70 acres plus building) to John Heald of Concord for 20 pounds (12 pd, 8 secured)

James died on December 3, 1707.

Notes

James Adams - was born say 1625 in Scotland and died on 3 Dec 1707 .

• Nothing has been found on his parents or ancestry. He was a prisoner at the battle of Dunbar, and sold as a prisoner of war to the LynnIrons Works by the British government, being sent on the "Unity" with 35 other Scots in 1650.
• James was one of Cromwell's Scot prisoners. He worked with both John Gifford's & Daniel Salmon's teams carting for the Sougus Iron Works. In 1656, he sued Samuell Bennett for taking away his cart & wheels, & Nicholas Pinnion for debt. In 1658, he was a member of Scott's Charitable Society.
• James married Priscilla Ramsdell on 7 May 1662 in Lynn, MA. Priscilla was born about 1640. She is the daughter of John Ramsdell and Priscilla Chase. They had 9 children. Proof of James and Priscilla Ramsden's children is a deed of Jonathan Rude (Husband of Abigail Adams); sells for himself "John Adams and Richard Adams 100 acres of land formerly the property of our brother James Adams, late of Wells" dated Jan. 16, 1728/9.
• 1653 Saugus Ironworks, Saugus, Mass. James Adams was located (on "who do you think you are", by Boston, Mass. State Archives Early American Historian- Sharon Salinger), listed under the inventory in 1653, as "35 Scotts, as followeth: "
• Sharon Salinger, also, determined, that his work contract was bought and he served as an indentured servant, due to being captured as a Prisoner of War, he fought as a Scottish rebel, in: The Battle of Dunbar 1650. (English Civil Wars- he fought for Scottish Independence) Hundreds of prisoners were shipped to the Colonies and purchased by various Ironworks, they bought their contracts of labor. The majority of the Rebel Soldier Prisoners, were between the ages of ca. 17-ca. 22 years old, per Sharon Salinger.
• Note: A Gregory Thompson was also, in this list. Possibly, linked to Thompson wife, later down the line?
• Scots Battle of Dunbar prisoner, indentured to the Saugus Iron works, Mass. Bay Colony http://scottishprisonersofwar.com/battle_of_dunbar_pows_america/
• In 1650, as one of Cromwell's Scot prisoners at the battle of Dunbar. [6]
• In the 18th century, the people in the northern part of Concord found it hard to get to church in winter and in the time of the "flud". They petitioned the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to make their area a separate district so that the taxes that they had to pay for the support of a church could be used to provide a minister and meetinghouse closer to their farms. The General Court complied; it established the First District of Carlisle in 1754. The town was named after Carlisle, England, because the first settler in the district, JAMES ADAMS, came from there to settle on South Street. (JAMES ADAMS was the first white settler of the district, who was banished from England by Oliver Cromwell in 1640) The local people supported a minister for two years, but when they could not agree on the location of the meetinghouse they successfully petitioned the General Court to restore the district to its original status as part of Concord.

Sources

• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPC7-J216 : 31 October 2019), James Adams and Priscilla Shore, 17 Feb 1692; citing Marriage, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007011227.
• New England Marriages Prior to 1700. By Clarence Almon Torrey. Page 4. GoogleBooks
• Who Do You Think You Are? (Season 10, Episode 1). TLC. 21 May 2018.
• Life sketch Featured on “Who do you think you are?” Season 10, episode 1: A prisoner of war in the Battle of Dunbar, sold to Saugus Iron Works as an indentured servant. American Actor John Cryier's 9th gr grandfather....as indentured servant in Concord, Mass
• "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910"
• Geni.com
• LDS AFN #LDC8-4KY
• (link) The Battle of Dunbar - 1650. Commemoration of the 350th Anniversary of the Battle of Dunbar delivered at the Saugus Iron Works, Saugust, Massachusetts by Bruce Hedman on September 3, 2000.
• Iron Works Inventory, dated Nov 1653, listed as "35 Scots", in Elizabeth French Bartlett Collection at the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
• Scottish Prisoners of War
• Concord, Massachusetts Marriage Records to 1800 From Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800. Frederick W. Bailey, Worcester, Massachusetts,1914.
• Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910 GS Film # 0823762 IT 1.
• Hamilton, Marsha L., Social and Economic Networks in Early Massachusetts: Atlantic Connections, p49.
• Deed of Jonathan Rude (husband of Abigail Adams); sells for himself "John Adams and Richard Adams 100 acres of land formerly the property of our brother James Adams, late of Wells" 16 Jan 1728/9.
• LDS AFN #L7BV-J8Q
• Connecticut Nutmegger, Byron S. Niemann, "The Possible Parentage of James Adams (1668-1741) of Westerly, RI", 26[1993]:573.
• See also: "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 21 August 2018, 20:28), entry for James Adams (PID)
• Worldconnect family tree
• Ancestry family tree
• Ancestry family tree
• Rootsweb Discussion
• Ian Watson, The Origins of Aquila Ramsdell's Given Name: Investigating the 17th Century with Mitochondrial DNA, American Ancestors, NEHGS, v18, #2, Summer 2017, pp54-56.
• Janet Regan and Curtis White, Hammersmiths Through the Historical Texts...
• “The Scots of Hammersmith” by Stephen P. Carlson
• The History of Sudbury, Massachusetts. 1638-1889, Alfred Sereno Hudson, 1889
• Ruth Chamberlin Wilkins. CARLISLE: ITS HISTORY AND HERITAGE 1976-REV., 2002 (may be purchased from Carlisle Historical Society).
• http://www.renderplus.com/hartgen/htm/adams_2.htm http://scottishprisonersofwar.com/battle_of_dunbar_pows_america/
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adams-81