ADAMS Brixham

[kayjaydee]

I have the certs for my grandfather born and died Australia. Birth cert states his father to be Samuel Adams b. Brixham Devon. Researcher could only find Samuel Adams with parents John and Jane but their son Samuel didn't come to australia. How else can I find Samuel's birth - what parish records might be available.

[aggiebagwash]

Can you give us some dates to work on it would help to broaden the area.

Margaret

[kayjaydee]

Samuels son was the informant on his death (in 1905) and stated he was born in Devonshire. Death cert states he was 56 so estimated year of birth is 1849. It appears he emigrated to Australia at about 23 in 1872. His marriage cert also stated father Richard Adams and mother Mary Ann however this was added after (as it is in different handwriting to orig. cert). The research I had done said there was a Richard Adams in Brixham who had a son Samuel but that Samuel died aged 2. As mentioned before, there is a John and Jane Adams (from Withypool) who had a son Samuel born around the same time but he didn't come to Aus. I cant find any record of his emigration. I am going on his death cert which states 33 years in NSW so backtracing I estimated around 1872 for emigration. Not sure if any of this will help but appreciate any help. Thank you

[kayjaydee]

On my grandfathers birth cert. (Arthur Francis Adams) Samuel states he was from Brixham.

[aggiebagwash]

I've spent most of today going through all the relevent censuses for Adams, Mary Adams and Samuel Adams and I can't find one single record of any of them. No births, no marriages, no deaths (that I can be sure of) and definitely no link to Brixham other than the data you already have.

I've come up against some brickwalls in my time but never one like this. 

One thing that's come to mind is I wonder if Samuel's parents had died and he was brought up by an aunt, uncle or grandparents called Richard and Mary and called them mother and father and maybe he wasn't aware that they weren't his parents? I know it's a long shot but I'll see if I can work round that theory.

Margaret

[kayjaydee]

Thank you so much for the time you've taken so far. I really appreciate it.

[aggiebagwash]

I'm now beginning to think that his name may not have been Samuel.  I've traced every Samuel + Samuel as a second name Adam/Adams between 1837 and 1860 and there's none linked either to a Richard or Mary/Mary Ann anywhere in the Brixham area so I extended it to the whole of Devon.

I expanded the birth date because a lot of ages in Victorian censuses were guesses rather than actual ages.

Where did he live in Oz it might help if I could find him on some Australian records?

Margaret

[kayjaydee]

the first record I have for Samuel is his marriage in 1878 to Ellen L. Bennett at St. David's Church, Sydney. The witnesses at his marriage were Henry Ferrier and Annie Coventry. I have a copy of the certificate from New South Wales Births Death & Marriages. The certificate was taken from the orig church register 288 volume 5.9.1. The next record is the 1891 Census of NSW showing he was living at Union Road, Auburn, Sydney - 3 females and 3 males at the residence. Following that is the 1901 NSW Census showing 6 males and 4 females at the address. I also have the birth certificate of my grandfather, Arthur Francis Adams in 1897 which shows his residence at Union Road, Auburn and he states his same Samuel and birthplace Brixham. The next information I have is his death certificate where the informant was his eldest son, Andrew James, who stated Samuel had been in the colony for 33 years. The date of death was 19 April 1905. He was buried the following day at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney. I hope that maybe this will be of assistance to you. I had thought that perhaps Samuel had been a convict but there a quite a number of Samuel Adams' in the convict registers and it is impossible to know if he is one of them. I believe he emigrated around 1872. Again thank you for your patience with this - your help is invaluable. Karen

[kayjaydee]

I have received the birth certificate for Samuel's eldest son, Andrew James born in New South Wales. The informant is Samuel and he merely states his birthplace as Devonshire. Any thoughts on this guy? I'm also wondering how to find a record of his emigration to Australia. Again, on his death cert Andrew advised he had been in the colony 33 years but he may have got that wrong. Where to go from here?