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William Adams (17 August 1706 in
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
, England – 13 February 1789) was Fellow and Master of
Pembroke College, Oxford Pembroke College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is located at Pembroke Square, Oxford. The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England, using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale, and was named after ...
.


Early years and education

Adams was born at Shrewsbury on 17 August 1706 and baptised at
St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury St Chad's Church occupies a prominent position in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire. The current church building was built in 1792, and with its distinctive round shape and high tower it is a well-known landmark in the town. It faces Th ...
, on 3 September 1706. He was from an old
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
and Shrewsbury family, the eldest son of John Adams and Elizabeth Jorden. He may have attended
Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into the ...
before being educated at
John Roysse John Roysse (1500 or 1501–1571) was an English mercer and benefactor of Abingdon School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Personal life John Roysse was probably connected with the Roysse family of East Hagbourne but there are few records appertaining ...
's Free School in Abingdon (now
Abingdon School Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The twentieth oldest independent British school, it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006. The school was described as "highly ...
). He was at Abingdon from c.1716 until 1720 before he was entered into Pembroke College just before his fourteenth birthday, on 6 August 1720. He matriculated at such an early age because he was kin of the co-founder
Richard Wightwick Richard Wightwick (c. 1547–1629) was a Church of England clergyman, co-founder of Pembroke College, Oxford. His name is also spelt Wyghtwicke. Wightwick was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated BA on 2 July 1580, MA on 4 Jul ...
. He obtained a B.A., 5 June 1724, master's degree, 18 April 1727 and obtained a fellowship in 1723.


Tutorship

During 1731 (possibly 1730,) he succeeded his cousin William Jorden as a tutor at Pembroke College, where he remained until after Easter 1732.


Curacy

On 26 February 1732, he was presented to the curacy, or, as usually called, the
vicarage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically own ...
of St. Chad's in Shrewsbury, which resulted in him leaving the college. He became Prebendary of Lichfield in 1747, Rector of Holgate, Salop in 1748, Canon of
Llandaff Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and '' Taf'') is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, whose ...
in 1749 and Precentor in 1750. In 1756, he visited Oxford, and completed his degrees of BD and
D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
on 12 July, and then went back to Shrewsbury, where he discharged the duties of his ministry with exemplary assiduity, patience, and affection; and contributed a very active part in the foundation of the Salop infirmary, and in promoting its success. The year before he went last to Oxford, he was presented to the rectory of
Cound Cound is a village and civil parish on the west bank of the River Severn in the English county of Shropshire, about south east of the county town Shrewsbury. Once a busy and industrious river port Cound has now reverted to a quiet rural comm ...
in Shropshire, by Mrs. Elizabeth Cressett of that place, and retained it during his life. In 1774 he was appointed Rector of Bedwas, Co. Monmouth and of Cwm, Flintshire.


Master

In 1775, about 43 years after he left college, John Ratcliffe, Master of Pembroke College, died; and although Adams had out-lived almost all his contemporaries, the gentlemen of the college came to a determination to elect him, a mark of respect due to his public character, and highly creditable to their discernment. He accordingly became Master of Pembroke, 26 July 1775, and in consequence obtained a
prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...
of
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
, which is attached to that office. He now resigned the living of St. Chad, to the lasting regret of his hearers, as well as of the inhabitants at large, to whom he had long been endeared by his amiable character, and pious attention to the spiritual welfare of his flock. He resigned his living of St. Chad's when he was elected Master of Pembroke (succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Humphries on 10 November 1775). During 1777 he was made
Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
of
Llandaff Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and '' Taf'') is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, whose ...
. Over the college he presided with universal approbation, and engaged the affections of the students by his courteous demeanour and affability, mixed with the firmness necessary for the preservation of discipline. In his apartments here, he frequently cheered the latter days of his old friend Dr.
Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709  – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...
, whom he survived but a few years.


Personal life

Adams married Miss Sarah Hunt (daughter of Thomas Hunt of Boreatton) on 12 July 1742 at St. Chad's, the same church at which he was baptised. They had two children, Thomas baptised and buried during the month of December 1744 and Sarah (born 28 March 1746) who later married, in 1788, to Benjamin Hyatt, Esq. of Painswick, in Gloucestershire. It has generally been reported, that he was afterwards tutor to the celebrated Dr.
Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709  – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...
; but Dr. Adams very handsomely contradicted this report, by saying, that had Johnson returned to College after Jordan's (his tutor's) death, he might have been his tutor: "I was his nominal tutor, but he was above my mark." A friendship, however, commenced between them, which lasted during the life of Dr. Johnson, to whose memory Dr. Adams did ample justice. Adams' daughter Sarah was a favourite of Johnson who affectionately called her 'Slim'. Adams resided at Rowley's Mansions in Hill's Lane, Shrewsbury for many years but died at his prebendal house at
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
, 13 January 1789, aged 82. He was interred in
Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishment of a minster dedicated to S ...
, where a monument was erected, with an inscription, which celebrates his ingenuity, learning, eloquence, piety, and benevolence.


Publications

Adams's first publications were three occasional sermons, printed 1741, 1742, 1749; but his principal work was an ''Essay on Hume's Essay on Miracles'', 8vo, 1752; which was long considered as one of the ablest answers that appeared to
David Hume David Hume (; born David Home; 7 May 1711 NS (26 April 1711 OS) – 25 August 1776) Cranston, Maurice, and Thomas Edmund Jessop. 2020 999br>David Hume" ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved 18 May 2020. was a Scottish Enlightenment philo ...
's writings, and was distinguished for acuteness, elegance, and urbanity of style. Hume, whom he once met in London, acknowledged that he had treated him much better than he deserved. This work was followed by other occasional sermons, which the author collected into a volume, and published in 1777. Only one of these sermons involved him in a controversy. It was entitled "On true and false Doctrine," preached at St. Chad's 4 September 1769, and touched upon some of the principles of the
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
s, in consequence of Adams having lent his pulpit to the Rev.
William Romaine William Romaine (1714 at Hartlepool – 1795), evangelical divine of the Church of England, was author of works once highly thought of by the evangelicals, the trilogy ''The Life, the Walk, and the Triumph of Faith''. Early life Romaine was born ...
, who had there preached a sermon, the tendency of which Adams thought it his duty to counteract. This produced a series of pamphlets between the friends of the respective parties; but it is somewhat singular that neither Adams nor Mr. Romaine took any part in the controversy, nor did Mr. Romaine publish the sermon which had occasioned it. The dispute turned principally on the degree of
Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...
to be found in the
Articles Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article may also refer to: G ...
, &c. of the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
.


See also

*
List of Old Abingdonians Old Abingdonians are former pupils of Abingdon School or, in some cases, Honorary Old Abingdonians who have been awarded the status based on service to the School. The Old Abingdonians also run the Old Abingdonian Club (OA club) which is an organ ...
*
List of Pembroke College, Oxford, people A list of Pembroke College, Oxford people including former students, fellows, honorary fellows, principals and masters of Pembroke College, University of Oxford, England and its predecessor Broadgates Hall. The overwhelming maleness of this list ...


Sources

*
Chalmers, Alexander Alexander Chalmers (29 March 1759 – 29 December 1834) was a Scottish writer. He was born in Aberdeen. Trained as a doctor, he gave up medicine for journalism, and was for some time editor of the ''Morning Herald''. Besides editions of the wor ...
. Appendix to ''The General Biographical Dictionary''. London, . 1820


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, William English religious writers English essayists Archdeacons of Llandaff Fellows of Pembroke College, Oxford Masters of Pembroke College, Oxford 1706 births 1789 deaths People educated at Abingdon School