William Adams and Mary White

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Husband William Adams ¹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Abt Sep 1777
         Buried: 

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         Father: [Father] Adams (      -      )
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: 

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Wife Mary White ¹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died:  - near Belleville, Mifflin Co, PA
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Jane Adams ²

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           Born: 15 Sep 1776 - Philadelphia, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 27 Jul 1834 3
         Buried:  - West End Presbyterian Church

         Spouse: James Alexander (1772-1847) 4 5
           Marr: 1792 2

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General Notes: Husband - William Adams

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His father bound him for one year to a linen draper, as a preparatory training for becoming a merchant. But taking offence at being less highly educated than his brother, Robert, he ran away on ship-board, and arrived almost penniless in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1774 or 1775. While teaching a school in the city for six months, he made the acquaintance of, and finally a marriage with, Mary White, who, being brought up in the city under the care of an uncle, was then engaged in the business of a dressmaker. Just a few months after his marriage, William Adams was drafted into Washington's army, and was severely wounded in the Battle of Brandywine, and died soon after of camp fever.
His widow, and his only child, Jane Adams, removed from Philadelphia, and fixed their residence near Belleville, Kishacoquillas Valley, Pennsylvania. Here, the daughter became the wife of James Alexander, and her mother continued to live until her death at her home near Belleville.
In the meantime his brother, Dr. Robert Adams, having died unmarried in India, left a considerable fortune, to be chiefly divided among his brother and sisters. Knowing that his brother, William Adams, had died in America, leaving one daughter only; but not knowing whether she still lived, he left her, conditionally, £3,000. Her husband, James Alexander, visited Ireland to obtain this money in 1805. His passport from Philadelphia Custom House is dated January 15, 1805. (And a receipt of a shipment of Irish linen from Liverpool to New York, is dated December, 1805.) He returned after an absence of nine months. While in Ireland he visited the aunts of his wife-the other sharers of the fortune of Dr. Robert Adams. Unfortunately, he was persuaded to speculate on a shipment of Irish linen, which, on arriving in America, was damaged so that the value of the fortune was considerably diminished.

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General Notes: Wife - Mary White

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After the death of her husband during the Revolutionary War, she took their only child, Jane Adams, removed from Philadelphia, and fixed their residence near Belleville, in the Kishacoquillas Valley, Pennsylvania. Here, she continued to live until her death at her home near Bellville.

1 John E. Alexander, A Record of the Descendants of John Alexander (Philadelphia, PA: Alfred Martien, 1878), Pg 158.

2 John E. Alexander, A Record of the Descendants of John Alexander (Philadelphia, PA: Alfred Martien, 1878), Pg 155.

3 John E. Alexander, A Record of the Descendants of John Alexander (Philadelphia, PA: Alfred Martien, 1878), Pg 159.

4 John E. Alexander, A Record of the Descendants of John Alexander (Philadelphia, PA: Alfred Martien, 1878), Pg 122.

5 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 31.