Notes for Henry Adam

Research Notes:

There are different accounts of the birthdate of Henry Adam, whose estate was in probate in 1819. We suspect this Henry was a grandson of John Adam who administered the estate of John Adam in 1809.

Research of Nancy Rice Kidoo links Henry Adam, whose estate was in probate court in 1819, with a Hessian soldier who deserted. [1] [2]:

Heinrich Adam, b. 1755/56, D6441 Berneburg. Private Hessian Erbprinz Regt., Col. von Hachenberg Co. deserted by May 1783 (HET III:52).

1793, 13 Oct., Heinrich Adam and wife Susannah sponsored the baptism of a son of Carl Selzer of Hessian von Linsingen, Grenadier Battalion, Reformed Church, Hagerstown. Henry Adam of Hagerstown was naturalized Jan. 1798, Hagerstown, renouncing his allegiance to the Prince of Hesse. 1800 census, Washington co., Hagerstown dist.: Henry Adams, 1 m., 1 f. 26/45. Henry Adam bought land in Hagerstown 1 Dec. 1802 (WCDB O:582). Estate of Henry Adam probated 19 May 1819( Washington co estate docket).

Children of Henry Adam and wife Susanna from Washington co. probates: Rebecca, Sarah Ann; Catherine; William H; Samuel H.

A different account, based on research of pottery in Maryland and Virginia reports the following. Henry Adam was born in Germany in 1782 and immigrated to Hagerstown in 1797 (15 years old), (when John his father moved from Bedford County PA to Washington County MD). Before long, he took his place among a growing contingent of potters working in the German tradition in the Hagerstown area. In 1803, he married another local potter’s daughter (Knode), and in 1808 he advertised that he "Respectfully informe[d] his friends" that he was carrying on the "POTTING BUSINESS, in all its various branches." [attributed to: http://www.oldsalem.org/a301c.html]

1808 Henry Adam was the administrator for the estate of John Adam, deceased, of Washington County.

1808 Letters of administration were issued to Henry Adam [perhaps a grandson through deceased son John] on January 23. He posted bond with Jacob Zellar and Jacob Binkley of Washington County. [3]

1808 The inventory of the estate of John Adam was recorded on April 28. [4]

1808 The Washington County, Maryland Orphans' Court ordered Henry Adam, executor of the estate of John Adam, to sell at public auction the personal estate of John Adams, with notice in the newspapers at Hagerstown of the sale. Dated February 9. The adjacent listing named Jacob Zeller guardian of Dan'l Reuch [Rentch?]. [5]

1808 The estate sale of John Adam was held at Hagerstown on February 25. Peter Adam, Jacob Binkley, Henry Adam, Jacob Zellers, and Christian Winebrenner (all of whom are named elsewhere in these notes), among others, purchased items. [6]

1808 Several items were posted in the Maryland Herald and Elizabeth-Town Weekly Advertiser of Hagerstown, Maryland by Henry Adam regarding his pottery business and the estate of John Adam. [7] Henry Adam, executor of John Adam, is plausibly the same person as Henry Adam, potter, of Hagerstown. That Henry Adam is plausibly one of the grandsons, son of deceased son John Adam, named in will of John Adam dated 1808:

1808 Henry Adam posted newspaper notices in Hagers Town [8]

1809 Henry Adams gave the first account of the estate of John Adams to the Washington County, Maryland Orphans Court. Account dated April 13. The account reported money received of Winebrenner and of Jacob Geller [Zeller?] and reported debts due to several persons. [9]

1809 Henry Adams gave the second account of the estate of John Adams to the Washington County, Maryland Orphans' Court. Account dated September 27. The account reported money received of Jacob Zeller and of Philip Rennon. Balance of £2785.5.7. [10]

1810 Henry Adams made a second account of the estate of John Adams to the Washington County, Maryland Orphans' Court, on October 3. The account reported money received of Jacob Zeller for lands sold and of Philip Rennon. Balance of £2785.5.7. [11]

Vertical File at Washington County Maryland. subject Pottery: "Henry Adams: Henry Adams, another Bell competitor, conducted his own pottery factory in Hagerstown for the period 1805 through 1815, and possibly longer. He is listed as an "earthenware-manufacturer: in 1805, and was one of the five major potters still active in Hagerstown in 1813. Adams remained in Hagerstown until at least 1817" Note: Henry Adam's children became wards of William D, Bell May 28m 1822 per Washington County Guardians, 1816-1822 after Henry's death.

The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts of Winston-Salem, North Carolina [12] reports the following:

Henry Adam’s first advertisement for his pottery business in Hagerstown, Maryland, was in 1805. There are no known marked or signed examples of his work. Mary Adam, daughter of potter Jonas Knode, and wife of potter Henry Adam, inherited the pottery shop of her husband upon his death in 1819. Shards similar to the dish and related sugar bowl (4362) have been excavated in New Market, Virginia, at the site of the shop of Adam’s brothers, Christian and Jacob. Shards resembling Adam’s pottery have also been located in Hagerstown at the Hager House. MESDA has a covered sugar bowl (acc. #4362) made by Henry Adam and a storage jar (Acc.# 4075) made by Mary Knode Adam, Henry Adam’s wife.

Comstock, H. E., The Pottery of the Shenandoah Valley Region (Winston-Salem, NC: MESDA, 1994)

Rice, A. H. and John Baer Stoudt, The Shenandoah Pottery (Strasburg, Virginia: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc., 1929)

Hagerstown Gazette: "Adam, Henry manufacturers of Earthen-Ware. (Ad-Met and set prices-which are listed in the article. Subject: Potters Prices."

c 1821 Several other German potters established kilns in Hagerstown, including Daniel Reichard, John Snavely and Henry Adams. [13]

Henry Adams and Henry Bell were operating potteries. [14]

Henry Adam (1782-1819), of Hagerstown, Maryland, was a potter in the Shenandoah Valley region.

Washington County (Marriage Licenses) 1799-1851, p. 32 Henry Adam and Mary Knode, 5 December 1807 [MSA C1965, MdHR 11,920-1, 1-61-8-4]. 12/07/90. Tracking No.: 07770. PD No.: 91-01541.

Henry Adams, perhaps the executor for the 1807 will of John Adams, lived in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland in both the 1800 (one male and one female, age 26-44) and 1810 census (one male and one female, age 44+) Another Henry Adams was listed with more people: (2 more females and 3 more males, under age 26). In 1820, there were 11 people in the second household. Jacob Binkley, witness to the will, lived near Henry Adams in 1810. John Middlecalf, perhaps a relative to another witness, was listed on the prior page to John Adam in the 1790 census.

1819 The estate sale for Henry Adams was made on June 5 by David Newcomer. Mrs Adams, widow, Phillip Adams, Abraham Rohrer, among others, purchased items. [15]

1819 The estate of Henry Adam, of Washington County, Maryland was settled by executor David Newcomer. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] Distribution, not seen: Washington County (Distributions) 1828-1835, p. 131 estate of Henry Adams, 18 October 1831 [MSA CR 9438]. 12/07/90. Tracking No.: 07770. PD No.: 91-01541. We seek a copy of this distribution, hopeful that the widow was named.

1822 David Newcomer, administrator of Henry Adam, who was summoned to appear here on this day and settle account is endulged to this day four weeks. Dated August 13. [22]

Footnotes:

[1] Nancy Rice Kiddoo, "Of Revolutionary Memory" German Mercenaries Who Immigrated to Western Maryland," Der Reggeboge: The Rainbow, Journal of the Pennsylvania German Society 23 (1989), 43-80, at 48, [GoogleBooks].

[2] Lion G. Miles, Prisoners of War in Frederick County, Maryland, During the American Revolution, 41-42, [GoogleBooks].

[3] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Bond B-8, [FamilySearchImage].

[4] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Inventory D-21, [FamilySearchImage].

[5] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington County, Maryland Orphans Court 1-32, [FamilySearchImage].

[6] Maryland, Washington County, probate records, 1777-1971, Accounts of Sale C1927-3, Cpunty Washington, 1806–1811, 202, [FamilySearchImage], [FSCatalog].

[7] [URL].

[8] Newspaper, Hagerstown, Maryland Herald, Weekly Advertiser, newspaperarchive.com.

[9] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Administration Account 3-216, [FamilySearchImage].

[10] Washington County, Maryland Orphans' Court 1-325.

[11] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Administration Account 3-326, [FamilySearchImage].

[12] Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts of Winston-Salem dish attributed to Henry Adam, [URL].

[13] Elmer Lewis Smith, John G. Stewart, M. Ellsworth Kyger, "The Pennsylvania Germans of the Shenandoah Valley, Chapter 10, The Crafts," Pennsylvania German Folklore Society 26 (1962), 215.

[14] Alvin H. Rice and John Baer Stoudt, The Shenandoah Pottery (1929), 27, [GoogleBooks].

[15] Maryland, Washington County, probate records, 1777-1971, Accounts of Sale C1927-6, F WA, 1816–1820, 294-302, [FamilySearchImage], [FSCatalog].

[16] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Inventory E-525, [FamilySearchImage].

[17] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Inventory E-531, [FamilySearchImage].

[18] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Administration Account 6-241, [FamilySearchImage].

[19] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Administration Account 6-330, [FamilySearchImage].

[20] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Administration Account 7-44, [FamilySearchImage].

[21] Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999, Washington, Administration Account 9-98, [FamilySearchImage].

[22] Washington County, Maryland Orphans Court 1-127, [FamilySearchImage].