Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/20

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DICTIONARY OF INDIAN BIOGRAPHY

acted as Governor General from Lord Hastings' departure in Jan. until Lord Amherst's arrival in Aug., 1823: adopted a strong and active policy: a Regulation was passed, in April, 1823, to curb the public Press: under it, John Silk Buckingham, who had established the Calcutta Journal and criticised Government, satirically commenting upon an appointment made by Government, was deprived of his licence and deported to England. The Court of Directors approved Adam's policy, and the Privy Council concurred. Adam was the first to grant public money, a lakh of rupees a year, in support of native education: devoted town duties to public works: increased civil judicial establishments: added four regiments to the Bengal Army: was given a renewed term as Member of Council: he died at sea, off Madagascar, June 4, 1825. His picture, by Chinnery, is in the Town Hall, Calcutta, and a tablet to his memory is in St. John's Church there, testifying to his merits.


ADAM, WILLIAM PATRICK (1823–1881)

Governor: son of Admiral Sir Charles Adam, K.C.B.: born 1823: educated at Rugby and Trinity College, Cambridge: B.A.: called to the bar by the Inner Temple, 1849: Private Secretary to Lord Elphinstone, Governor of Bombay, 1853–58: M.P. for Clackmannan and Kinross, 1859–80: Lord of the Treasury, 1865–6, and 1868–73: First Commissioner of Works in 1873, and Privy Councillor: 'Whip' of the Liberal party, 1874–80, and Governor of Madras, Dec. 20, 1880: died at Ootacamund May 24, 1881: his eldest son was created a Baronet in recognition of his father's public services: his widow was given the rank of a Baronet's widow and made a member of the Order of the Crown of India.


ADAMS, ANDREW LEITH ( ? –1882)

Naturalist, Army-Surgeon and Surgeon-Major from 1848 to 1873: Professor of Zoology at Dublin, and of Natural History at Cork: wrote Wanderings of a Naturalist in India, and The Western Himalayas and Cashmere: F.G.S.: F.R.S.: and LL.D. of Aberdeen: died in Aug. 1882.


ADAMS, REV. JAMES WILLIAMS (1840–1903)

Educated at Trinity College, Dublin: ordained, 1863: on the Bengal Ecclesiastical Establishment, 1868–1887: chosen, 1879, to be Chaplain to the Kabul Field Force: was at Charasia and other engagements, and in Lord Roberts' march from Kabul to Kandahar: won the Victoria Cross—the only clergyman who ever gained it—in the Chardeh valley, near Kabul, in Dec. 1879: first saved a wounded man of the 9th Lancers, by dismounting and supporting him until relieved; he then, up to his waist in water, and under a heavy fire from the Afghans within a few yards, by sheer strength dragged out two more men of the same regiment from under their horses in a ditch. He also saw service as Chaplain in Burma. On his retirement, in 1887, he was appointed Rector of Postwick, Norfolk; died at Ashwell Rectory near Ockham, on Oct. 20, 1903, "Padre" Adams, as he was called, had immense influence with the British soldier, who adored him. He was Chaplain in Ordinary to H.M., 1901.


ADAMS, SIR JOHN WORTHINGTON (1764–1837)

Entered the Army 1780: fought under Sir R. Abercromby (q.v.) against the Rohillas: was at the capture of Seringapatam, 1799: commanded his regt. in 1809, on active service in Central India: C.B., 1815: held commands in Kumaon, Nagpur, the Dekkan: took Chanda in 1818, was at Bhartpur in 1826: commanded the Sirhind Division, May, 1828: Maj-General 1830: Colonel of the 16th Bengal, N.I.: K.C.B.: died March 9, 1837, at Sabathu.

ADAMS, THOMAS ( ? –1764)

Major: an officer of the school of Clive: in 1763 succeeded to a command in Bengal: defeated Mir Kasim, Nawab of Bengal, performing splendid exploits during the campaign: he started, just after a British reverse, with a few English veterans and a handful of sepoys: defeated one of the Nawab's Generals at Katwa: marched on Murshidabad and occupied it: won a brilliant victory at Gheria: dislodged the enemy from their position of great strength at the pass of