Dr. William Weston Adams (November 15, 1786 – August 11, 1831) was an American politician, planter, medical doctor, and graduate of

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. He was the third son of

Joel Adams Joel Adams (February 4, 1750 – July 9, 1830) was an American planter and soldier from Richland County, South Carolina. Adams served as an officer in the South Carolina militia during the American Revolution and also served in the Continental A ...

and Grace Weston Adams and was born in Richland District, South Carolina, November 15, 1786. "William Weston Adams was a 'tall and very handsome man, possessing elegant manners.' He first graduated at Yale, then graduated in medicine and returning to his home enjoyed a fine country practice. He and his wife Sarah Epps Goodwyn are said to have been one of the most strikingly handsome couples of their day." (from ''Lower Richland Planters'' by Laura Jervey Hopkins) He graduated from

in 1807, practiced medicine, remained a planter and served in the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

in 1816-1817. His nephew

James Hopkins Adams James Hopkins Adams (March 15, 1812 – July 13, 1861) was an American politician who served as the 66th governor of South Carolina from 1854 to 1856. He also served in the South Carolina Legislature. Early life and education Adams was born i ...

graduated from

, and was the 66th

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

from 1854 to 1857. His nephew Robert Adams II was a captain in the Confederate Army, and his life was depicted in the film '' The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams''. William's nephew James Pickett Adams (1828–1904) was a member of the

, and was Major in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. The South Carolina author and physician Dr. Edward Clarkson Leverett Adams (1876–1946) was the great grand-nephew of William and was also a member of The

. E.C.L. Adams was the great-grandson of two of William's brothers, James Adams and

Joel Adams II Joel Adams II (March 6, 1784 – May 1, 1859) was an American politician, lawyer, and planter. He was son of Joel Adams and Grace Weston Adams and was born in Richland District, South Carolina, March 6, 1784. He graduated from Yale University ...

. William Weston Adams is buried at St. John's Congaree Episcopal Church in Congaree, South Carolina.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Joel, II 1786 births 1831 deaths Yale University alumni Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives People from Richland County, South Carolina 19th-century American politicians