George James Adams was the son of Capt. James Harvey Adams (b.1775) and Sarah Martindale (widow of James Martindale of Bristol, RI who died 1834).
Adams had a long career as a textile manufacturer and agent. He was the treasurer of the Greenwich Print Works (1856-1882); a business associate at the Arkwright Cotton Mills (Fiskeville, R.I., circa 1836); an employee at Adams Print Works (Fiskeville, R.I.), Kent Print Works (East Greenwich, R.I.), Orion Cotton Mills (Providence, R.I., circa 1860s-1870s), Bristol Print Works (R.I.), and Clyde Bleaching and Print Works; a part owner of the Rhode Island Bleach and Dye Works, Adams and Butterworth (Providence, R.I., 1862-1882); and the chief agent at Narragansett Print Works (East Greenwich, R.I., 1848-1854).
George James Adams married Mary Hodges Brown (1814-1873) and they had at least 3 children: Sarah married Mortimer Van Cleve and they lived in Minnesota; George H. Adams became a mechanical and electrical engineer in Rhode Island; and John B. Adams. His second wife was Cornelia Dean (1827-1900).
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
All the materials in this collection are in the public domain and available for use without restriction.
George James Adams papers, Ms. 2010.021, Brown University Library.
The collection includes family letters and business correspondence (mostly letters to Adams), invoices and receipts, inventories, payroll and supply lists, deeds and contracts, and photographs. A large number of letters are from Thomas P. Richmond, a banker of Bristol, Rhode Island, probably affiliated with the Bank of Bristol. They communicate Richmond’s strong abolitionist feelings and include descriptions of slave uprisings such as the insurrection on the ship La Amistad in 1839, meetings of abolitionist societies, etc. Also discussed are Richmond’s other interests, including phrenology, electricity, epidemiology, mesmerism, animal magnetism, and ships. Another large part of the collection comes from Adams’ time as chief agent at the Narragansett Print Works. This material includes correspondence with textile dealers and related business agents, mostly from Rhode Island, Hartford, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Invoices, receipts, as well as accounts for advertising, raw materials, and shipping, are also included. The collection also contains documents related to other businesses, mostly in textiles, run by Adams throughout Rhode Island. The remainder of the collection relates to the extended Adams family, including George Harvey Adams, Mary Hodges Adams, Sarah Martindale Adams, George William Brown, and others. This material includes correspondence as well as legal documents, bills and receipts, inventories of estates, financial documents, correspondence, and photographs.
The collection has been divided into four series. Each series has several subseries.
Series 1: Personal Correspondence
Series 2: Professional Documents and Correspondence
Series 3: Personal Documents
Series 4. Photographs
A94-155: Purchase, Wendell Smith, 11/08/94; A94-152: Purchase, Carmen D. Valentino, 11/08/94; A92-14: Purchase, Wendell Smith, 04/30/92; A2003-40: Gift, Wendell Smith, 07/2003.
Correspondence to George James Adams. Arranged chronologically, then by sender.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically, then alphabetically.
Telegrams, see also Chadsey, E. 1857 Feb 13, 1857 Feb 18
Loosely arranged by individual or company name.
Arranged chronologically, then alphabetically.
Arranged chronologically, then alphabetically.
Arranged chrnologically then alphabetically.
Letters organized by sender, or by recipient if noted.
Documents related to the extended Adams family, arranged chronologically.