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Show Genealogy of "Sam" Adams. Editor Times : As I shall not have time to develop this matter in my lecture on Sunday evening, I would like to lay it before your readers now. The immigrant from whom this man was descended was Henry Adams, who settled in Quincy, Mass., at an early date in the history his-tory of the colony. Quincy, by the way, has been associated with the Adams family ever since and is now the home of the well - known Charles Francis Adams. Tbe original American Adams came from Devonshire, England, and the name is said to be traced to a Welsh ancestor, an-cestor, and the Welsh, like other folks, trace their origin to Adam. Grandsons of Henry Adams were Joseph and Henry Adams. Joseph was, in turn, graudfather of Sam Adams, the subject of my lecture, and Henry was grandfather of President John Adams. 'Sam' Adams and John were, therefore, second sec-ond cousins, and John's advent was entirely due to the influence of his second cousin. 'Sam Adams' father was Samuel Adams, born in Boston in 1683. His son 'Sam' was born there in 1722. He was called 'Sam' because be-cause his father was called 'Samuel.' When the father was dead the abbreviated abbre-viated name still clung to the son, not only from old association, but also because be-cause he became in middle life very near and dear to tha liberty-loving people of Massachusetts, Massa-chusetts, and to the close of his life the name "Sam" applied to him was one of endearment. en-dearment. It was the same with Abraham Lincoln. People called him "Old Abe," not because they would detract from him, but because they loved him. Adams and Lincoln were men whose mental and moral stature was increased by shortening their names. They were two of the greatest men of the world, and I look upon "Sam" Adams as the father of independence. Charles Ellis. |