Nat Gould

Richard Adams 1809-1874

Richard Adams was born in 1809 at Narrowdale in Alstonefield parish in Staffordshire, the son of Ralph Adams 1759-1832 of Narrowdale and his second wife nee Mary Platt 1780-1848. He was baptised on 1 February 1809 at Alstonefield church.

Former Village Shop

In 1841 he married Maria Bonsall 1813-1885 of Alstonefield, and by 1851 had a grocer's and draper's shop in Alstonefield village.

The shop had been purchased by his grandfather Ralph Adams 1722-1784 in 1754, and stayed in the possession of the Adams family for over 160 years (1).

When the Census was taken in 1861 and 1871 his niece Lucy Ann Wood was living with them, working as shop assistant. She was born in 1841 in Alstonefield.

Richard Adams died on 28 June 1874 aged 65 years, and was buried at Alstonefield, where there is a gravestone inscribed to his memory and that of his wife.

His widow Maria Adams had retired from the business by 1881, and the shop was taken over by her niece Lucy and her husband. In 1876 Lucy Ann Wood had been married to George Adams 1847-1926. He was the son of George Adams 1802-1858 of Narrowdale, brother of the late proprietor.

Maria Adams died on 28 September 1885 aged 72 years, and was buried at Alstonefield.

(1) "The building was a shop as early as 1754 when it was sold by John Gibbs (grocer and flaxdresser) to Ralph Adams, husbandman of Narrowdale, for £40. It remained with the Adams family until George Adams retired in 1914, and was then run by a Mr Stone. Ernest Arme took over the tenancy in 1922, and later bought the property, which included a warehouse with a loft above that had been added by the Adams family during the 19th century as a store for feeding stuffs." Alstonefield Memories by Tim Eades, Dorothy Critchlow and Doris Goodwin (2002) page 16.
The shop closed in 1981.