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{{short description|Recipient of the Victoria Cross}}
{{Other people|James Adams}}
{{Use Irish English|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = [[The Reverend]]
|name = James Williams Adams
|image = VCJamesWilliamAdams.jpg
|image_size =
|alt =
|caption = Reverend James Adams on a cigarette card
|birth_date = {{birth date|1839|11|24|df=y}}
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1903|10|20|1839|11|24|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Cork (city)|Cork]], Ireland
|death_place = [[Ashwell, Rutland]]
|placeofburial = Churchyard of [[St Mary's Church, Ashwell, Rutland]]
|nickname =
|allegiance = United Kingdom
|branch = [[Bengal Ecclesiastical Department]]
|serviceyears =
|rank =
|unit =
|commands =
|battles = [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]]<br/>[[Third Anglo-Burmese War]]
|awards = [[Victoria Cross]]<br/>[[Mentioned in Despatches]] (3)
|relations =
|laterwork =Honorary Chaplain to [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]]
}}
'''James Williams Adams''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (24 November 1839 – 20 October 1903) was an Irish [[Anglican]] chaplain and a recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces. He was the first clergyman, and the last of five civilians, to be awarded the VC.

==Early life==
Adams was born in [[Cork (city)|Cork]], Ireland on 24 November 1839. He was the only son of James O'Brien Adams, magistrate, and his wife, Elizabeth Williams.

He was educated at [[Hamblin and Porter's Grammar School]], Cork and [[Trinity College, Dublin]]<ref>''Dictionary of Indian Biography'' (1906)</ref> and ordained in 1863.<ref>''Who Was Who, 1897–1916''</ref>
His first curacy was in [[Hyde, Hampshire]], from 1863 to 1865 and then at [[Shottesbrooke]], Berkshire, from 1865 to 1866. In October 1866 Adams became a [[chaplain]] on the [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]] establishment under Bishop [[Robert Milman]] at Calcutta.

==Victoria Cross==
[[Reverend]] James Williams Adams was 40 years old, and a [[chaplain]] in the [[Bengal Ecclesiastical Department]] (serving as chaplain to the [[Kabul Field Force]]), [[British Indian Army]] during the [[Second Afghan War]] when on 11 December 1879 he carried out the actions for which he was awarded the VC. The citation was published in a supplement to the ''[[London Gazette]]'' of 24 August 1881 (dated 26 August 1881) and read:

{{quote|''War Office, August 24, 1881.''

THE Queen having been graciously pleased, by Warrant under Her Royal Sign Manual, bearing date the 6th of August, 1881, to direct that the decoration of the Victoria Cross shall be conferred on Members of the [[Indian Ecclesiastical Establishment]]s who may be qualified to receive the same, in accordance with the rules and ordinances made and ordained for the government thereof, provided that it be established in any case that the person was serving under the orders of a General or other Officer in command of Troops in the Field when he performed the act of bravery for which it is proposed to confer the decoration :—

Her Majesty has accordingly been pleased to signify Her intention to confer this high distinction on the undermentioned gentleman, whose claim to the same has been submitted for Her Majesty's approval on account of his conspicuous bravery in Afghanistan as recorded against his name, viz. :—

Bengal Ecclesiastical Establishment, late Chaplain to the Kabul Field Force, The Reverend J. W. Adams

During the action at Killa Kazi, on the 11th December, 1879, some men of the [[9th Queen's Royal Lancers|9th Lancers]] having fallen, with their horses, into a wide and deep "[[nullah]]" or ditch, and the enemy being close upon them, the Reverend J. W. Adams rushed into the water (which filled the ditch), dragged the horses from off the men upon whom they were lying, and extricated them, he being at the time under a heavy fire, and up to his waist in water.

At this time the Afghans were pressing on very rapidly, the leading men getting within a few yards of Mr. Adams, who having let go his horse in order to render more effectual assistance, had eventually to escape on foot.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25008|page=4393|date=26 August 1881}}</ref>}}

For the above actions Adams was recommended for the VC by [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Lord Roberts]]. Along with the [[Presbyterian]] and [[Roman Catholic]] chaplains who also accompanied the force, Adams was three times [[Mentioned in Despatches]] during the campaign.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24801|page=218|date=16 January 1880}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24841|page=2850|date=4 May 1880}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24909|page=6538|date=3 December 1880}}</ref> He received his medal from Queen Victoria at [[Buckingham Palace]] on 1 December 1881.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7499156&queryType=1&resultcount=2|title=Documents online—Victoria Cross Registers—Medal listing of Reverend James Williams Adams|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|accessdate=4 June 2008|format=Fee required to view full document}}</ref>

==Later career and life==
In 1885 he accompanied the field force under Lord Roberts in Burma, and he took part in the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War|operations there]].

Returning to England he was the [[Rector (ecclesiastical)#Anglican churches|rector]] of [[Postwick]] (1887–94) and [[Vicar (Anglicanism)|vicar]] of [[Stow Bardolph]] (1895–1902) in [[Norfolk]]. In 1902 he was instituted rector of [[Ashwell, Rutland|Ashwell]], [[Rutland]].

Adams was appointed an [[Ecclesiastical Household|honorary chaplain]] to the [[Prince of Wales]] on 7 May 1900,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27190|page=2920|date=8 May 1900}}</ref> and following the Prince's accession as [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]] he was confirmed in the post of honorary chaplain to the King on 23 July 1901.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27336|pages=4838–4839|date=23 July 1901}}</ref> After the resignation of Reverend [[Handley Moule]] to become bishop in September 1901, Adams was appointed one of twelve [[Ecclesiastical Household|chaplains-in-ordinary]] to the King.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27370 |page=7045 |date=1 November 1901}}</ref>

Adams died on 20 October 1903 and was buried on 24 October in the churchyard of [[St Mary's Church, Ashwell, Rutland]] where he was rector. His grave was restored in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stamfordtoday.co.uk/news/War-hero39s-memorial-is-restored.3251498.jp |title=War hero's memorial is restored |newspaper=Rutland and Stamford Mercury |date=2 October 2007 |access-date=4 June 2008 |archive-date=4 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004074428/http://www.stamfordtoday.co.uk/news/War-hero39s-memorial-is-restored.3251498.jp |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:The grave of James Adams VC in the churchyard of St Mary's, Ashwell.jpg|thumb|The grave of James Adams in the churchyard of [[St Mary's Church, Ashwell, Rutland|St Mary's, Ashwell]]]]
On 16 August 1881 at [[Iver Heath]], he married Alice Mary, eldest daughter of [[Sir Thomas Willshire, 1st Baronet]]; they had a daughter, Edith, who married [[Geoffry Northcote]].

==See also==
[[Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041221020126/http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/rutland.htm Burial location of James Adams] ''(Rutland)''
*[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbadamsj.htm Grave details]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, James Williams}}
[[Category:Military personnel from County Cork]]
[[Category:Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:People from Cork (city)]]
[[Category:Irish military chaplains]]
[[Category:19th-century Irish Anglican priests]]
[[Category:1839 births]]
[[Category:1903 deaths]]
[[Category:Irish soldiers in the British Indian Army]]
[[Category:Second Anglo-Afghan War recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish Anglican priests]]
[[Category:Honorary Chaplains to the King]]
[[Category:Second Anglo-Afghan War chaplains]]
[[Category:British Indian Army chaplains]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]]
[[Category:People from Stow Bardolph]]
[[Category:People from Ashwell, Rutland]]
[[Category:Burials in Rutland]]
[[Category:People from Broadland (district)]]

James Adams chaplain - Revision history

Bot at 16:52, 13 September 2022