John Adams1

M, #996, b. 30 September 1858, d. 12 July 1904
Pedigree
John Adams
Father*John Adams b. 11 May 1829, d. 25 Jul 1905
Mother*Mary Ann Harwood b. 2 Jun 1832, d. 25 Dec 1898
Last Edited18 Nov 2024
Birth*John Adams was born on 30 September 1858 at Fremantle, Western AustraliaG.2 
He was the son of John Adams and Mary Ann Harwood. 
BaptismJohn Adams was baptized on 28 November 1858 at Fremantle, Western AustraliaG.2,3 
Marriage*He married Amelia Rosina Scott, daughter of William Frederick Scott and Mary Ann Dawson, on 30 January 1883 at Busselton, Western Australia; reg: 5509. 
Death*John Adams died on 12 July 1904 at Shark Bay, Western Australia, at age 45; reg: 1279 - drowned. 
Burial*He was buried at Fremantle, Western AustraliaG; Anglican
Denham Cemetery has death 12/7/1904 47yrs.4 

Family

Amelia Rosina Scott b. 14 Jun 1863, d. 3 Jun 1924
Child
Occupation*John Adams was a Pearler, owned Luggers. 
Residence*He lived in 1901 at Denham, Western Australia; Knights Terrace - Civil Servant.5 
Note*Bic Dic says born 30/9/1858

Pearler - Shark Bay, owned luggers


...European Pioneer Families

The Adams Family

The Adams family had a very strong influence on the development of the Shark Bay pearling, lightering and seafood processing industries. The family began at Shark Bay when John Adams (born Fremantle 1856, died Shark Bay 1904) married Amelia Rosina Scott (born Busselton 1863, died Fremantle 1924) on January 30, 1883, and after their marriage they moved to Shark Bay so that John Adams could engage in the pearling industry. His sister Sarah and her husband Louis Williams, had begun pearling at Shark Bay in 1875. John Adams subsequently went on to own several pearling cutters, and eventually became a master pearler at Shark Bay.

John and Amelia had ten children; Evelyn, Frederick, Harry (killed in World War I), Ines, Sarah, Arthur, Mary Ann, Ernest, Edith, and Minnie.

John Adams' brother-in-law Louis Williams (born Spain 1849, died Fremantle 1917), was a pearler at Denham and Cossack. Williams had the two-masted, eighteen-ton, gaff-rigged schooner Sarah Williams built in 1912 at Fremantle by A.E. Brown, and the boat was named after his wife Sarah (nee Adams). The Sarah Williams had a length of forty-five feet, beam of fourteen feet three inches, and a draft of five feet six inches. Sarah and Louis left Shark Bay in 1915. The following newspaper tribute describes the life and times of Louis and Sarah Williams:
It was reported that the late Mrs Sarah Williams who died at Fremantle last Monday was a link with the very early history of W.A., being a daughter of the late John and Mary Adams who were among the pioneers. She was born at Fremantle 76 years ago and was married at 21 years of age to the late Mr Louis Williams, a prominent pearler, with whom she immediately went North on the schooner Ethel. She accompanied her husband from Shark Bay along the coast northward as far as Swan Point, King Sound.

There it was essential for the party to obtain freshwater and for that purpose they landed. They were confronted by hostile natives, who, when they discovered a woman was one of the party, became friendly. Mrs Sarah Williams was the first white woman to land at Carnarvon 55 years ago and she was also the first white woman to land at Roebuck Bay (now Broome) and at most other important centres on the North West coast. Her headquarters for some years was on the storm swept Monte Bello Islands off Onslow where she endured many hardships.

About 15 years ago she and her husband returned to Fremantle where they intended living in retirement. but her husband died shortly afterwards. She was buried at Fremantle Cemetery yesterday.3

Evelyn Adams married pearler and lighterman Thomas Andrew Black of Denham and they had nine children. Frederick John Otway (Fred) Adams was in 1886 aboard the coastal steamship, Otway while his mother, Amelia was en route from Shark Bay to Fremantle. When he was old enough, Fred followed his father John Adams into the pearling industry, in time became a master pearler and lighterman. He also partly owned managed the Bay Canning Company, and was a part-owner of Metropolitan Fisheries fish freezing factories at Herald Bight and Denham. Adams employed a number of local people in his many business dealings at Shark Bay. He married Frances Mary (Molly) Fry, a daughter of pearler George Worth Fry of Denham, and they had one son, John (Jack), and three daughters Faye, Georgette and Judith. Fred Adams became a Justice of the Peace at Denham and was a leading figure in the town. He died on August 27, 1969, in Perth, aged 83 years.

William Henry (Harry) Adams was killed in 1916 during World War I, aged 27 years. Ines Adams married pearler and lighterman Tasman Fletcher at Denham. Sarah Adams married Cecil Connell, and lived in Perth. Arthur Louis Adams died at Denham in 1917, aged 19 years. Mary Ann Adams married Shark Bay pearler/lighterman William Sunter, and they had one son, John. After the death of William Sunter, Mary Ann married William (Bill) Farr, also a pearler of Denham, and had three more children; Harry, Marjorie and Valerie. Bill Farr operated the pearling cutter, Eric, at Shark Bay.

Ernest Adams married Cecilia Henfry, a daughter of pearler/lighterman Arthur Henfry of Denham and they had one daughter, Gwen.

Edith Adams married C.V. (Adgee) Cross, who was initially a pearler at Shark Bay, and later became a telephone linesman based at Hamelin, on the Geraldton-Carnarvon telegraph line. Edith was postmistress at Hamelin Pool telegraph station.

Minnie Adams married Herbert (Bert) Taylor, who was a part-owner and manager of Hamelin Pool Station between about 1935 and 1955.

Author's note: - From the arrival at Shark Bay of Sarah Williams (nee Adams) in 1875, until the death of Ines Fletcher (nee Adams) in 1976, there was an unbroken history, for a period of 101 years of the Adams family at Shark Bay. They played a comprehensive part in the development of Shark Bay into what it is today.

(4. Adams, Faye. Written history and personal communication)


Shark Bay Legends by Russell Cooper, Rawlhouse Publishing Pty Ltd, WA 1997 ISBN: 0-9587406-0-7. 
Relationship1st cousin 3 times removed of Neil James Bradley

Citations

  1. [S8] Russell Cooper, Shark Bay Legends.
  2. [S358] Fran Sillitto,Spearwood, WA.
  3. [S142] Family Search, online www.familysearch.org, Fremantle Anglican Baptisms.
  4. [S632] Find A Grave, online findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182040531/john-adams
  5. [S316] Electoral Rolls, AIG Early Aust Electoral Rolls.

Amelia Rosina Scott

F, #997, b. 14 June 1863, d. 3 June 1924
Pedigree
Amelia Rosina Scott
Father*William Frederick Scott b. 1821, d. 16 Feb 1888
Mother*Mary Ann Dawson b. 9 Oct 1831, d. 26 Apr 1903
Last Edited27 Mar 2025
Birth*Amelia Rosina Scott was born on 14 June 1863 at Ridgeway, Quindalup, Western Australia; reg: 7299.1 
She was the daughter of William Frederick Scott and Mary Ann Dawson. 
Marriage*Amelia Rosina Scott married John Adams, son of John Adams and Mary Ann Harwood, on 30 January 1883 at Busselton, Western Australia; reg: 5509. 
Death*Amelia Rosina Scott died on 3 June 1924 at Shark Bay, Western Australia, at age 60. 
Burial*She was buried at Fremantle, Western AustraliaG; Anglican AA 63.2 

Family

John Adams b. 30 Sep 1858, d. 12 Jul 1904
Child
Residence*Amelia Rosina Scott lived on 7 December 1915 at Denham, Western Australia.3 

Citations

  1. [S359] WABI Source Documents,WAGS, Bayswater, WA.
  2. [S632] Find A Grave, online findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182040845/…
  3. [S156] UNSW AIF WWI, online www.aif.adfa.edu.au/aif.