William Adams (died 28 September 1748) was an officer of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. He served in the

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during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

and was promoted by Admiral

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to be

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the 50-gun on 12 March 1748. Adams went on to served under Admiral Edward Boscawen at the unsuccessful siege of Pondicherry in 1748 during the

. The British fleet cannonaded the town's defences and were in turn fired upon. Little damage and few casualties were sustained on either side, there were only two British fatalities: Adams and a common sailor. After Adam's death, command of ''Harwich'' passed to Captain Richard Clements.

Sources

#
Charnock's ''Biographia Navalis''
Royal Navy officers British military personnel killed in the War of the Austrian Succession Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession 1748 deaths Year of birth unknown {{UK-navy-bio-stub