ADAMS, Hannah (fl.1795-1797) — London
Globemaker to the King 1795-1797. Mathematical instrument-maker.
Born Hannah Marsham, she married George Adams 2 (see BME 2011) at St. Dunstan in the West, Fleet Street, 3 Jul 1774. She continued the business for a time after his death in 1795, before selling the stock to William Jones and Samuel Jones (see BME 2011), announcing, “Hannah Adams, widow of the late Mr. George Adams, of Fleet-Street, Mathematical Instrument Maker to His Majesty, begs leave to return her most sincere thanks to the numerous and respectable friends who for many years patronized her husband, and solicits a continuance of their favours to herself, as she intends to carry on the business, and trusts, that from an experience of twenty years attendance in the shop she shall be enabled to give satisfaction. All persons, to whom Mr. Adams stands indebted are desired to give in their demands to the widow and executrix, that they may be discharged, and all persons indebted to his estate are requested to pay the amount of their debts to her” (London Gazette, 29 Aug 1795). The library of the business, some 2,000 volumes, was sold off in 1796. The Fleet Street premises were subsequently taken over by Dudley Adams (see BME 2011). She lived in Clapham from at least 1799 until her death in September 1810. She was buried 1 Oct 1810 at St. Saviour, Southwark. Her will, granted probate 20 Oct 1810, makes mention of property in Essex and Surrey, as well as handsome bequests to various members of her family.
60 Fleet Street — 1795-1797
Clifton. LG. John R. Millburn, “Adams of Fleet Street, Instrument Makers to King George III” (2017). NA.