William Adams (1752–1811)

For other people named William Adams, see William Adams (disambiguation).

William Adams (30 September 1752 – 21 September 1811)^[1] was a British merchant and Tory^[2] politician.

He was the eldest son of William Adams of Totnes, Devon. He was made Mayor of Totnes for 1780–81, 1788–89 and 1797–98 and served as town Recorder from 1807 to 1811.^[3]

He was elected as the member of parliament (MP) for Plympton Erle in 1796. He resigned that seat to be elected MP for Totnes in Devon, his native town, at a by-election in June 1801,^[2] and was returned unopposed to the House of Commons at the next three general elections, holding the seat until his death in 1811 at the age of 58.^[2][4]

He married Anna Maria Dacres in 1774. She was a daughter of Richard Dacres of Leatherhead, Surrey and wet nurse to Princess Amelia, and by her he had two sons and two daughters. In 1810^[5] he was living in Bowden House, Ashprington, near Totnes, which he had purchased from the Trist family in about 1800.^[6]