William Adams served in HMS Northumberland as captain when James Cook was master.  Adams was promoted to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy on 22 September, 1759, just after the siege of Quebec, and was immediately appointed Captain of Northumberland, the flagship of Commodore Alexander, Lord Colvill in the North American squadron.  Adams, therefore, joined the ship within days of James Cook being appointed its master.

Adams received his lieutenant’s commission on 26 March, 1750, having passed his examination in 1747.  From information in his certificate, it seems William Adams was born about 1716:

Lieutenant's certificate for William Adams

In pursuance, etc of the 29 April, 1747, we have examined Mr. William Adams who by certificate appears to be more than 31 years of age, & find he has gone to sea more than six years in the Ships and qualities undermentioned (viz)

Journals dispensed with by order of 15 May, 1747.  He produceth Certificates from Captains Carford and Lisle of his diligence, etc.  He can splice, knot, reef a sail, etc and is qualified to do the duty of an Able Seaman and Midshipman.

R.H., E.F., Captain Allen.

Adams had been serving in HMS Vigilant in the East Indies since 1747:

Commodore William Lisle, Bombay… Has appointed William Adams, Master of the Vigilant, to be 4th Lieutenant on the death of Ben Gardiner and William Palmer, Master of the Syren to succeed him in the Vigilant.¹ 

Adams married Martha Tomlyn on 16 January, 1753, at Rochester, Kent.  Together, they had at least four children.  Adams later served in Yarmouth (1755), Royal George (1757) and Namur (1758).  HMS Namur was the flagship of Admiral Edward Boscawen during the siege of Louisbourg in 1758.  Adams must have impressed as he was promoted to commander on 2 August, 1758, after the French surrendered. On that date, he was given command of the Hunter sloop.  Adams and Hunter played an important role in the siege of Quebec in 1759, at one point ferrying General James Wolfe up the St. Lawrence River.  Adams was rewarded in September 1759 with promotion to post-captain, and appointment to flag captain in HMS Northumberland under Colvill.  He took the ship to Halifax for the winter.

Northumberland returned to Quebec in 1760, as part of the force sent to protect the city from French forces trying to recapture it.  Adams was replaced as captain on 21 September, 1760, by Nathaniel Bateman, being transferred to HMS Diana.  Two French privateers were captured by Adams and Diana in 1762—La Dunkerquoise on 1 September off Texel, and Le Comte de Flandre on 28 September.

Adams left Diana on 25 January, 1763.  According to the book Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy, 1660-1815,² he died a few days later on 3 February.  However, there is a will for a William Adams of Portsea, written on 10 September, 1763, and proved on 3 January, 1764.  This will is witnessed by Gawler Rickman, who is mentioned in the will of Charles Clerke (who had sailed with Cook), suggesting Rickman had close links with naval officers.

The will mentions three children but no wife, so she had presumably died earlier.  There is one son, Tomlin, and a birth record exists for him from St. Nicholas Church, Rochester in Kent (another naval town), dated 10 October, 1756.  The parents are given as William and Martha.  The two other surviving children are daughters, Mary and Maria Martha.  It may be that Martha Adams died in childbirth, and the third child was named for her.

William Adams entered his son Tomlin on the muster roll for HMS Northumberland in 1760, even though the boy was only four years old at the time!  Both William and Tomlin were beneficiaries of a land grant in Nova Scotia made by His Majesty George III on 9 April, 1761.

at Pisiquid River on the bounds of East Falmouth (Newport Township) and bounded on the west by said river, north East by said river; south by lands of East Falmouth (Newport Township).³ 

The area became known as the grant to the Gentlemen of the Navy or the Man-of-War grant.  Several Royal Navy officers benefitted, together with some of their children, in reward for their services at Louisbourg and Quebec.

John Robson

References

1. Receipt dated 6 January, 1751.  Reference ADM 106/1092/57.  Held at The National Archives (TNA), Kew.
2. Syrett, David and DiNardo, R L (eds).  The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy, 1660-1815.  Scolar Press for the Navy Records Society.  1994.  Page 2.
3. Duncanson, John V.  Newport, Nova Scotia: a Rhode Island Township.  Mika Publishing.  1985.  Page 55. 

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 31, volume 46, number 1 (2023).