William Patrick Adam
Encyclopedia
William Patrick Adam, CIE
, DL
(14 September 1823 – 24 May 1881) was a British colonial administrator and Liberal
politician. He was twice First Commissioner of Works
under William Ewart Gladstone
and also served briefly as Governor of Madras between 1880 and 1881.
, son of William Adam
, only surviving son of the architect John Adam
, brother of architects Robert Adam
and James Adam. His mother was Elizabeth Brydone while John Adam
and Sir Frederick Adam
were his uncles. He was educated at Rugby
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, and was called to the Bar
, Inner Temple
, in 1849.
(his second cousin), from 1853 to 1858. In 1859 he was elected Member of Parliament
for Clackmannan and Kinross
, a seat he held until 1880. He served as a Lord of the Treasury
under Lord Palmerston
and Lord Russell
from 1865 to 1866 and under William Ewart Gladstone
from 1868 to 1873. In August 1873 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed First Commissioner of Works
by Gladstone. In September of the same year he was given the additional post of Paymaster-General
, and retained both offices until the fall of the Gladstone government in February 1874.
Between 1874 and 1880 Adam was a Liberal whip. When the Liberals returned to power under Gladstone in May 1880, he was once again made First Commissioner of Works
. In December 1880 he was appointed Governor of Madras, which he remained until his death in May of the following year.
Adam was also the author of Thoughts on Policy of Retaliation and served as a Deputy Lieutenant
of Kinross-shire
and Fife
.
, British India, where he was also buried. His wife Emily was awarded the Order of the Crown of India
in October 1881. In 1882 their eldest son Charles Adam was created a Baronet, of Blair Adam in the County of Kinross, in honour of his father (see Adam Baronets
) and the same year Emily Adam was granted the precedence of a baronet's wife. She died in November 1906.
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(14 September 1823 – 24 May 1881) was a British colonial administrator and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician. He was twice First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
under William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
and also served briefly as Governor of Madras between 1880 and 1881.
Background and education
Adam was the son of Admiral Sir Charles AdamCharles Adam
Admiral Sir Charles Adam, KCB was a British naval officer. He was the second son of William Adam of Blair Adam and his wife Eleanora, the daughter of Charles Elphinstone, 10th Lord Elphinstone and sister of Lord Keith....
, son of William Adam
William Adam (MP)
William Adam, KC was a Scottish Member of Parliament in the British Parliament and subsequently a Judge.-Biography:...
, only surviving son of the architect John Adam
John Adam (architect)
John Adam was a Scottish architect. Born in Linktown of Abbotshall, now part of Kirkcaldy, Fife, he was the eldest son of architect and entrepreneur William Adam. His younger brothers Robert and James Adam also became architects.The Adam family moved to Edinburgh in 1728, as William Adam's career...
, brother of architects Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
and James Adam. His mother was Elizabeth Brydone while John Adam
John Adam (administrator)
John Adam was a British administrator in India, serving as the acting governor-general of the British East India Company in 1823.- References :...
and Sir Frederick Adam
Frederick Adam
General Sir Frederick Adam GCB GCMG was a Scottish major-general at the Battle of Waterloo, in command of the 3rd Brigade. He was the fourth son of William Adam of Blair Adam and his wife Eleanora, the daughter of Charles Elphinstone, 10th Lord Elphinstone.-Military career:At the age of fourteen...
were his uncles. He was educated at Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, and was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
, Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, in 1849.
Political career
Adam was secretary to the Governor of Bombay, Lord ElphinstoneJohn Elphinstone, 13th Lord Elphinstone
John Elphinstone, 13th Lord Elphinstone and 1st Baron Elphinstone GCB GCH PC was a Scottish soldier, politician and colonial administrator. He was twice elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom as a Scottish Representative peer, serving once from 14 January 1833 to 29 December 1834 and then...
(his second cousin), from 1853 to 1858. In 1859 he was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Clackmannan and Kinross
Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire (UK Parliament constituency)
Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire were constituencies of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918....
, a seat he held until 1880. He served as a Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
under Lord Palmerston
Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, KG, GCB, PC , known popularly as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in the mid-19th century...
and Lord Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
from 1865 to 1866 and under William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
from 1868 to 1873. In August 1873 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
by Gladstone. In September of the same year he was given the additional post of Paymaster-General
Paymaster-General
HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom. The Paymaster General is in charge of the Office of HM Paymaster General , which held accounts at the Bank of England on behalf of Government departments and selected other public bodies...
, and retained both offices until the fall of the Gladstone government in February 1874.
Between 1874 and 1880 Adam was a Liberal whip. When the Liberals returned to power under Gladstone in May 1880, he was once again made First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
. In December 1880 he was appointed Governor of Madras, which he remained until his death in May of the following year.
Adam was also the author of Thoughts on Policy of Retaliation and served as a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire or the County of Kinross is a registration county, electoral ward and historic county in the Perth and Kinross council area in the east central Lowlands of Scotland...
and Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
.
Personal life
Adam married Emily, daughter of General Sir William Wyllie, in 1856. They had several children. Adam died in May 1881, aged 57, in OotyOotacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
, British India, where he was also buried. His wife Emily was awarded the Order of the Crown of India
Order of the Crown of India
The Imperial Order of the Crown of India is an order in the British honours system.The Order was established by Queen Victoria in 1878, when she became Empress of India. The Order is open only to women; no new appointments have been made after the Partition of India in 1947...
in October 1881. In 1882 their eldest son Charles Adam was created a Baronet, of Blair Adam in the County of Kinross, in honour of his father (see Adam Baronets
Adam Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Adam, both in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2009....
) and the same year Emily Adam was granted the precedence of a baronet's wife. She died in November 1906.