THE LATE MR ADAMS.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VI, Issue 1310, 24 July 1884, Page 3

THE LATE MR ADAMS.

' Mr Adams, of Langley Dale, whose death was referred to in our last issue, was the son of the fifth William Adams, and was born at Redwood, in the County of Hereford, on March 21st, 1811, and was brought up with the expectation of sac* ceeding to the estates of his uncle, Mr William Adams, of Sheet, Ludlow, who had never married, and was the last living male of a long line, but his uncle dying when the deceased gentleman was only sixteen years old, by an untoward chain of circumstances he was not de* clared to be the heir to the estates. Mr Adams then articled himself to a firm of solicitors, and was one of the first to be admitted under examination. After having practised his profession for some years in England he arrived in New Zealand by the Eden, the last ship sent out by the New Zealand Company, on the 10th of November, 1850, and took up his residence in Nelson, soon afterwards purchasing and naming the property now known as the Redwood Run, when he came to reside in the Wairau district. About the year 1856 Mr Adams purchased the Langley Dale property and took up hie residence there, occupying himself with the business of the farm and the improvement of his property. In the same year Mr Adams initiated a movement in the direction of separating the Wairau from the provincial district of Nelson. For a time, however, the matter was allowed to ■remain in abeyance until the session of the General Assembly in 1858. and the new Provinces’ Act became law in 1859, and Mr Adams, in conjunction with Messrs Ward and Goulter, took effectual steps towards the establishment of the Province of Marlborough. When the petition for that purpose had received the requisite number of signatures, Mr Adams proceeded to Auckland for the purpose of laying the same before the Governor, and on his return brought with him the Gazette containing the proclamation constituting the province, under the provisions of the new Provinces’ Act, and the same (year he was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands for Marlborough. He was also elected a member of the first Provincial Council, and at its first meeting was elected Superintendent of the Province. Blenheim having been made the seat of the Provincial Government, the Land office was there first established ; the sittings of the Provincial Council and the offices of the Superintendent being also established in Blenheim, then called Beaver. The Provincial offices were removed to Picton about the year 1861, all of these events having occurred during Mr Adams’ Superintendency. While in Picton the deceased gentleman resigned the office of Superintendent, retaining the office of Commissioner of Crown Lands during his residence in Picton. About the year ’63 Mr Adams resigned his official position in Marlborough and joined Mr Samuel Kingdon, then a solicitor practising in Nelson, founding the firm of Adams and Kingdon. About ten years ago he returned to the Wairau and has continued to reside at Langley Dale since then, until.the time of his decease. During the latter portion of his life the deceased gentleman has not taken a very active part in public affairs, though he accepted a seaton the Wairau Road Board, and was appointed a member of the Marlborough Land Board, both of which positions he filled till the date of bis death. Mr Adams leaves a widow and four sons, of whom Mr W. Acton B. Adams, of Christchurch, iB the eldest, the others being Messrs William Adams, of Langley Dale, Percy Adams, of Nelson, and Langley Adams, of Middle Renwiek Road. Amongst his large circle of friends, _ the news of Mr Adams’ death will be received with feelings of the most profound regret. He was ever known by them as one who dispensed the moßt liberal hospitality ; and was a typical English gentleman.