Media: BOOK - hardcover 318 pages
Authors: R. Adamson & B Evans
Year: 1994
Other:  177 illustrations, 1900 family tree names

In 1839 James and Elizabeth Adamson brought their seven children from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, to South Australia. They were looking for a better life. James, a wheelwright, established a farm implement business in Adelaide, and from 1843 began to specialize in wheat harvesters. His four innovative sons expanded the business, opening branches in Kapunda, Auburn and Laura. Two grandsons maintained the firm into the 1890s.
    Their daughters married progressive farmers, James and Adam Kelly, and an accountant, James Steele.
    The story of the Adamsons, James and Elizabeth, their seven children and 45 grandchildren, is interwoven with the early agricultural, manufacturing and commercial development of South Australia. Their community life was much influenced by their firm religious beliefs coupled with a high sense of moral and public duty.

From the Introduction
On 1 May 1839, James and Elizabeth Adamson left Scotland bound for South Australia. Accompanying them were their seven children, Adam, aged 17, David Beveridge, 15, John Beveridge, 11, James Hazel, 9, Margaret Thomson, 5, and twins Elizabeth Beveridge and Magdalene, 3. They arrived in the colony on 19 September 1839 aboard the Recovery.
    In 1840, James Adamson commenced business in Hanson Street, Adelaide (now southern Pulteney Street), first as a wheel-wright, carpenter and builder, and then manufacturing and dealing in agricultural implements. The firm soon became renowned for its wheat harvesters or strippers, which James Adamson and his sons successfully developed from the original stripper of John Ridley. The business was later expanded by his four sons. After his retirement, it became known as Adamson Brothers and country branches were established at Kapunda, Auburn and Laura.
    Today there are many descendants of James and Elizabeth, their seven children and 45 grandchildren. In 1994 there were about 1400 direct descendants known to the authors (or 2000 if spouses are included). Of these, about 1400 living descendants are known; they are to be found in every state of Australia, and in England, Canada, South Africa and the United States of America. The majority live in South Australia.
    This book presents an extensive account of the life and times of James and Elizabeth Adamson, their ancestry for 200 years or so, and of their children. To a lesser extent it gives details of their grandchildren. There are wide differences in the amount of information that the authors have been able to locate and hence to include. How much is known depends on such factors as whether they were male or female (few records usually remain about Victorian-era women), in business, or active in the community. Much family ‘lore’ has come from members of the different lines. South Australian Archive records have also yielded much information.

Contents

Acknowledgements 5
Introduction 7
Chapter 1 Emigration—Scotland to South Australia 9
Chapter 2 The Adamson and Beveridge Families in Scotland 16
Chapter 3 James Adamson—Agricultural Implement Manufacturer 25
Chapter 4 James Adamson—Flour Miller 33
Chapter 5 James Adamson—Church Manager 37
Chapter 6 Elizabeth Adamson—Wife and Mother 42
Chapter 7 The Adamson—Kelly Connection 45
Chapter 8 Adam Adamson and Margaret Kelly
Gold Miner, Implement Maker, Community Leader 48
Chapter 9 Adam and Margaret Adamson’s children—Margaret, James, Adam, Erskine, Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, Nelly 58
Chapter 10 David Beveridge Adamson and Emma La Vence Implement Maker, Astronomer,‘Mechanical Genius’ 74
Chapter 11 David and Emma Adamson’s children—James, Sarah,
Elizabeth, Emma, Magdalene, David, David, Robert, Charles, William, George, Lillian, Albert, Margaret, Florence 88
Chapter 12 John Beveridge Adamson and Anne Haines Implement Maker, Church and Community Worker 136
Chapter 13 John and Anne Adamson’s children—John, William,
Lydia, Claudia, Henry, Ross 148
Chapter 14 James Hazel Adamson
Artist, Inventor, Implement Maker, Community and Temperance Worker . . 163
Chapter 15 Margaret Thomson Adamson and James Kelly
Church Worker, Farmer at Sunny Brae, Justice of the Peace 179
Chapter 16 James and Margaret Kelly’s children—James, Maxwell, Elizabeth,
John, Alexander, Henry, Alfred, David, Edmund, Margaret 190
Chapter 17 Elizabeth Beveridge Adamson and James Steele
Sunday School Worker, Accountant and Business-man Also son William and family 231

Chapter 18 Magdalene Adamson and Adam Kelly Church Worker, Farmer at Yacko Hill, ‘William Wapstraw’ 237
Chapter 19 Adam and Magdalene Kelly’s children—Emma, Adam,
Felix, Magdalene 253
Chapter 20 Conclusions 258
Appendix 1 Family Letters from Scotland to James and Elizabeth Adamson of Edinburgh, Crossgates near Dunfermline, and Adelaide, South Australia from members of the Beveridge and Adamson Families August 1809 to January 1849; also known letters written by Elizabeth Adamson 261
Appendix 2 The Ship Recovery 271
Appendix 3 Victorian Goldfields Diary of Adam Adamson 1852 272
Appendix 4 David Adamson’s telescope 1886 276
Appendix 5 ‘...to Revisit the Land of my Fathers’ Lecture by John B. Adamson
September 1863, on his return from a fifteen month trip overseas 277
Appendix 6 James Adamson’s patents 1863-1892 287
References 289
Bibliography 296
Index 299