William Adam of Blair Adam

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn

The Right Hon. William Adam of Blair Adam

Jury Court (1815–39).[1]

His political career was affected by his father's periodic financial problems, as sometimes the family had substantial wealth and sometimes it was in difficulties, forcing Adam to concentrate his attention on his legal practice. He rose to be Lord Lieutenant of Kinross-shire.

His most important contribution to Scottish Law was probably the introduction of

trial by jury
on civil (non-criminal) cases.

Life

The appellants' case by William Adam, 1812.

William Adam was the only surviving son of Jean Ramsay and John Adam of Blairadam, architect and master mason to the Board of Ordnance in Scotland, of Maryburgh, Kinross. William's uncle was the architect Robert Adam.[1]

Blairadam House, where William was born, lies just north of

English bar
in 1782.

Adam represented a number of constituencies in Parliament. He was MP for the

Lord North. He moved to another Scottish Burgh seat Elgin Burghs
, 1784–1790.

In 1790–1794, he sat for Ross-shire. His last Parliamentary seat was Kincardineshire, which he represented from 1806 until he became a Judge in January 1812.

Adam took a very hard line on American issues in the early part of his political career. He was critical of his future political leader

Lord North
for being too conciliatory before the outbreak of fighting. However, after pursuing an independent course up to 25 November 1779, he then announced in the House of Commons that he was now going to support Lord North. After that he became a loyal friend and defender of North.

Caricature of William Adam, by James Gillray, depicting his dual with Charles James Fox
The grave of William Adam (1751–1839), Greyfriars Kirkyard

Adam particularly disliked the leading opposition figure Charles James Fox. At one stage they fought a duel. He also attacked Fox verbally in Parliament.

Adam was appointed to the minor political office of Treasurer of the Ordnance. He held this office twice, first between September 1780 and May 1782 and again April–December 1783.

On 17–18 February 1783, Adam spoke and voted against peace with the United States. After that, despite his past animosity to Charles James Fox, Adam advocated the

Fox-North Coalition
, as the only way to stop Lord North's party becoming politically irrelevant. Adam was active in gathering detailed information about the Scottish constituencies, to help his political associates.

Thereafter, he was less involved in politics as he developed his career at the English bar. Through his friendship with the

Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall, another office in the gift of the Prince.[2]

Adam was

Sir Walter Scott. In 1812, he published Vitruvius Scoticus, a collection of his grandfather William Adam's architectural projects, which the elder William had first initiated in 1727.[3]

During the

Scottish jury court
from 1815 until his death.

In 1832-33, his home address was 31 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh.[4]

He died in Edinburgh on 17 February 1839, and was buried at Greyfriars Kirkyard[5] He lies in the huge family vault built for his grandfather, William Adam the architect, facing his father, John Adam. The vault lies south-west of the church, in front of the Covenanters Prison.

Family

On 7 May 1777, William Adam married Eleanora Elphinstone (died 4 February 1800), daughter of Charles, 10th Lord Elphinstone. They had six children:

  1. John (4 May 1779 – 4 June 1825), civil servant of the East India Company, served as acting Governor-General of India
    in 1823.
  2. Charles (6 October 1780 – 16 September 1853), Admiral in the Royal Navy, MP,
  3. William George KC (6 December 1781 – 16 May 1839), lawyer, Accountant-General of the Court of Chancery.
  4. Governor of Madras
    1832–37.
  5. Francis James (24 March 1791 – 8 June 1820) died of yellow fever at sea with Charles
  6. Clementina (died 29 October 1877), married on 27 April 1807, John Anstruther-Thomson, DL, of Charleton, Fife.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ . Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Chisholm 1911.
  3. ^ Colvin, Howard (1978) A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600–1840, John Murray, p. 56
  4. ^ "Edinburgh Post Office annual directory, 1832–1833". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  5. ^ Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland, The Grampian Society, 1871
  6. ^ ""Adam, of Blair Adam", in Burke's Landed Gentry of Scotland, pp.3–4" (PDF). Retrieved 3 September 2007.

References

External links

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Gatton
1774–1780
With: Robert Mayne
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wigtown Burghs
1780–1784
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Elgin Burghs
1784–1790
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Ross-shire
1790–1794
Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Wishart Stuart
Member of Parliament for Kincardineshire
1806–1812
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Solicitor-General of the Duchy of Cornwall
1802–1805
Succeeded by
Preceded by Attorney-General of the Duchy of Cornwall
1805–1806
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall
1806–1815
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Treasurer of the Ordnance
1780–1782
Succeeded by
Preceded by Treasurer of the Ordnance
1783
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Kinross-shire
1802–1839
Succeeded by