39. Mary Adey (John , Daniel , John , John , John ) was born in 1793. She was christened on 16 May 1793 in Stroud Old Meeting House.
Mary married Richard Wells on 12 Apr 1824 in Stroud Old Meeting House.
On Mary's baptism record Richard is shown as an accountant of Cheltenham. On Richards baptism record the address is given as Winchcombe Street.
Richard and Mary had the following children:
44. Rev Edward Adey (Daniel , Daniel , John , John , John ) was born on 31 Mar 1799 in Turnham Green. He was christened on 28 Apr 1799 in Hammersmith, London. He died on 28 Apr 1876 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.
Born in Turnhall Green and Christened at Ebenezer Independent, Hammersmith, London. Ebenezer Chapel was a Congregational chapel opened in King Street, Hammersmith in 1784 by a carpenter Mr West who had been holding devotional meetings in private houses in the area for the previous ten years. Following Ministers were Messers Fryer, Sheen, Day and Wilson, the dates are not known. In 1862 the congregation moved from King Street to Albion Road (now Dalling Road). The old chapel was demolished and by 1914 the site was covered by Cromwell Mansions.
The family then moved to Laleham near Staines, at that time the scene of the Ministry of Rev C Jerram, the friend of Andrew Fuller. Edward refused an offer of training and incumbency as an Anglican evangelical from Rev C Jerram in favour of Nonconformist principles. For sometime he was in business while spending his free time helping his brother Rev John Adey with his preaching. Edwards preaching skills were soon recognised and upon recommendation of Rev W P Bull of Newport Pagnell Evangelical Institution he was introduced to the college as a ministerial student.
At Newport Pagnell Edward developed a love for rural mission work and in 1828 he accepted the pastorate of the first Baptist Church in Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard, a position he maintained for 25 years. The church was built before 1740 on the site now occupied by Chapel Mews.
Edward was a Baptist Minister and slavery abolitionist. He was an associate of Thomas Clarkson, William Wilberforce and others and is included in Benjamin Robert Haydon's picture of The Anti-Slavery Convention 1840 which is on display in the National Portrait Gallery in London (reference NPG 599). His family also have a small portrait of him which has a note on the back refering to a painting in the Law Courts of London. It has not been possible to trace the picture in the Law Courts but The National Portrait Gallery say that Haydon's picture was never in the Law Courts it was hung in the offices of the Anti-Slavery Society until the 1880s when it was moved to the NPG. The National Portrait Gallery also has an 1841 lithograph entitled The Abolition of the Slave Trade by John Eldfred Vinter which included Edward.
Edward resigned due to poor health having added 250 new members, built Ledburn Church and formed Burcott congregation. According to family tradition he helped Sir Joseph Paxton (1801 - 1865) with reading, Paxton designed the fountains and greenhouses at Chatsworth then designed Crystal Palace. Edward preached in gipsy camps, at Bedford execution and in London & Birmingham Railway navvies camps. His obituary says that he was slandered by antinomians who seceeded 1832. Verbal tradition at his church suggests that he perhaps led a young woman to expect a marraige proposal from him and he either did not fulfil this or withdrew it. A number of people left Lake Street church to set up another church in the town.
In 1834 Edward wrote the following letter to Mary Linnell:
My Dear Madam,
After mature deliberation, but with meat diffidence I have ventured to address you on an interesting and important subject. From the testimony and opinion of several esteemed friends I have been convinced that you satisfy those peculiar qualities which most eminently qualify you for the responsible position of a Christian ministers wife. Weary of the solitariness of a single life, I am anxious to promote my personal comfort and ministerial usefulness by a prudent matrimonial alliance, and have therefore fervently prayed that I might be favoured with such a gift from the Lord. Although I have long admired and respected your person and piety yet until the present period diverse circumstances have prevented me seeking the felicity of your friendship. It would be inconsistent with my character as a Christian to make these declarations of affection which can only be suggested by the intercourse and acquaintance to which I now most sincerely aspire after. I am ardently desirous of an early and convenient interview, and as our mutual friend Mr Brooks has kindly offered to invite you to his house on Wednesday evening I would entreat your compliance as a very great personal favour as on many accounts a preliminary conference is preferable to a special visit at your house.Should you condescend to indulge me in this particular I shall honestly communicate my circumstances, connections, prospects and intentions for in a consultation of such moment it becomes us to be frank and faithful. In the meantime let us be much in prayer that we may not “be unwise but understanding of the will of the Lord concerning us.”
Desiring but almost despairing of success I hope by the permission of yourself and excellent parents to subscribe myself
Yours truly
Edward Adey
April 1 1834Marys response was:
After much consideration and the most fervent prayer for divine guidance Miss Linnell has decided to grant Mr Adey permission to consult her parents on the important subject of receiving his addresses. May the wise disposer of events, the hearer and answerer of prayers, he whom she humbly hopes is indeed her ‘Father in Heaven’ influence the minds of her dear earthly parents to give such an answer as will most promote his glory and the salvation of immortal souls.
Fenny Stratford, Thursday evening.Edward and Mary married in 1835.
In 1841 census shows Edward and family living in Leck Street, Leighton Buzzard with his wife Mary, children Edward (aged 5) and John (aged 11 months). Also in the house were Jane Linnell (20 year old governess) and Charlotte James (also 20 years old).
He met Wilberforce and rode the South Midlands with Rev William Knibb (a Baptist Jamacian Missionary who is also in the portrait by Haydon). He was converted to "teetotalism" by John Cassel (the publisher) in 1835, he was a promoter of Leighton Temperance Hall, Lake Street in 1845, Church membership was opened to Congregationalists & Presbs in 1850. He was also a hymnwriter, tutor, a verse translator of Greek and a politician advocating religious liberty and equality.
In 1851 Edward was living in North East Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard with his wife Mary, his sons John Daniel and William Thomas and his 50 year old Mother-in-Law, Susan Adey a widowed governess.
The 1854 Post Office Directory of Berkshire, Northamptonshire etc shows Rev Edward Adey (Baptist) of Lake Street amongst the gentry of Leighton Buzzard.
At the time of the 1861 census Edward was a visitor at the house of Thomas Kemp a baptist minister in King Street, Dawley, Shropshire.
The Leighton Buzzard Observer, 7th April 1863, contains a short report of the annual meeting of the Lake Street Chapel Baptist Missionary Society, which had been held on the Monday evening, the 30th March 1863. The assembly had been addressed by the Rev. Messrs Adey, Barker, Davis, Elliston and Hands, on a variety of interesting subjects. On the previous day, the sermons had been preached by the Rev T Hands, and collections made in behalf of the Society.
The Leighton Buzzard Observer, 14th april 1863, contains a report of the annual meeting of the Leighton and Linslade Total Abstinence Society, which had been held at the Temperance Hall on Thursday 9th of April 1863. The Rev J B Walcot was in the chair. At the meeting the report of the Committee, and the Treasurers report were read, and the officers for the ensuing year were elected. A public tea had been held at the end of the afternoon, followed by a public meeting in the evening, at which Mr Wilson presided. Prayers were offered by the Rev Adey, and addresses given by Messers. Butler, Adey, J Purser and Cooper.
The 1864 Post Office Trade Directory for Leighton Buzzard lists Rev E Adey of Lake Street as an insurance agent acting for Eagle Insurance & Railway Passengers Insurance. His home address is also listed as Lake Street.
At the time of the 1871 census Edward (retired Baptist Minister) was living at High Street, Leighton Buzzard with his wife, 3 boarders and a servant.
His obituary in the 1877 Baptist Handbook appears to have been written by Rev William Thomas Adey his son. The obituary says that the family has been long associated with Presbyterian and Independent interests in the county of Gloucestershire and a records of their sufferings in the early Puritan times is still preserved. It also says that Edward left behind in autobiographical form an unusually interesting sketch. Unfortunately it has not been possible to find either of these items.
Edward married Mary Linnell in 1835. Mary was born in 1808 in Feney Stratford, Buckinghamshire. She died on 25 Dec 1899.
Mary was the daughter of William Linnell (1771-1860) and Mary Geary (of a cultured family). According to family records William was converted by John Wesley, a travelling preacher and built a chapel, with his wife he founded the first Sunday School in the region and was principal of a girls boarding school from about 1835-1837 (21 girls are in a 1873 photo). She was one of the first women in public life and was included in discussions with Lord John Russell from about 1840 onwards. Formed Band of Hope (said to be the second in the country) in about 1847. Blind for the last 15 years of her life Mary learned many Hymns and bible passages.
The Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linslade Gazette for 14th July 1863 carried an advertisement stating that Mrs Adey would be re-opening the school at Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard, Beds on Tuesday the 21st of July 1863 and would be happy to add to the number of both her resident and daily pupils.
The 1864 Post Office Trade Directory lists Mrs Mary Adey of Lake St as a girls' boarding school.
At the time of the 1871 census Mary was lving with Edward at High Street, Leighton Buzzard. Her occupation is given as school mistress. Also living at the house were 3 boarders Anne Cooke (annuitant) and 2 female pupils aged 12 and 13.
In March 1876 Mary was presented with a bible together with a purse of twenty pounds by the committee of Leighton Buzzard Infant Schools in recognition of her valuable and gratuitous services over a period of 32 years. This bible was passed to her son William Thomas Adey and from there down to the branch of the Adey family which was living in Kent in 2006.
At the time of the 1881 census Mary (occupation retired Governess) was living as a boarder at 33 Jesse Terrace, Reading St Mary, Berkshire, the home of William D Harris an 81 year old retired ironmonger.
After Edwards death Mary remarried and became Mary Harris. At the time of the 1891 census Mary Harris (widow, retired governess) is living with her son John Daniel.
Edward and Mary had the following children:
+ 73 M i Edward Linnell Adey + 74 M ii John Daniel Adey 75 F iii Mary Esther Adey was born in 1842 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. She died in 1845 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. + 76 M iv Rev William Thomas Adey
45. Daniel Francis Adey (Daniel , Daniel , John , John , John ) was born in 1802. He died on 10 Jul 1877 in Adelaide, South Australia.
According to family tradition a Frank Adey was born in about 1810, he emigrated to South Australia probably on the Wakefield Gibbon scheme but there is no record of his birth, marriage or death in the UK or South Australian records and it is considered most likely that Frank Adey was actually Daniel Francis Adey.
In 1840 Daniel was a grocer living at 44 Upper Berkeley Street, Marylebone.
The 1841 census shows him still living at this address with his wife, his children Thomas and Eliza plus 15 year old Henry Howland, a shopman.
The 1851 Post Office Directory shows 44 Upper Berkeley Street occupied by John Tickner, a tea dealer.
Daniel and his family moved to Australia in 1849 on the vessel Anna Maria. He settled in Adelaide. A number of other unrelated Adey's arrived in the same year on the same vessel including Charles George Adey, Edward Adey, Percy Drummond Adey and William George Adey.
Daniel married Marianne Tibbs in 1837 in St Martin in the Fields, London, Middlesex. Marianne was born in 1812 in Middlesex, England. She died on 1 Aug 1900 in Adelaide, South Australia.
They had the following children:
77 M i Thomas Spicer Adey was born in 1838 in Marylebone, Middlesex. He died on 11 Aug 1912 in Kilkenny, Adelaide.
Thomas was born at 44 Upper Berkeley Street, St Mary, Marylebone.
Thomas he moved to Adelaide with his parents in 1849.
He became a professional photographer using the name of Spicer Adey and bought out studio of E. Farndell at 83 Hindley Street, Adelaide where he operated from 1875 to 1888. A number of his photographs can be found in the State archives.
According to the death records Thomas was single at the time of his death in 1912.+ 78 F ii Eliza Adey + 79 F iii Emily Jane Adey + 80 F iv Fanny Adey + 81 F v Albertina Adey 82 F vi Florence Eva Adey was born on 10 Nov 1857 in South Australia.
54. Rev John Adey Pratt (Lucy Adey , Daniel , John , John , John ) was born in 1811 in Painswick. He died on 4 Jan 1867 in Bristol.
John was named after his uncle Rev John Adey
He attended Painswick Grammar School and was apprenticed to a tradesman in Painswick. He was taken to Painswick Independent Chapel by his mother. At age 20 he moved to Kingston-on-Thames and lived with a relative. In Kingston he began teacing in Sunday School, his first class consisting of chimney sweeps collected for the purpose, he also held prayer meetings in curious places such as a cow shed and Kingston Bridge.
In 1836 he moved to London, started a business on his own account and attended Southwark Chapel where Rev John Adey was minister. Both John and his brother Daniel were deacons at the church and they established a Sunday School where in 1868 five hundred scholars met for instruction. The Sunday School produced 8 or 9 ministers, several teachers and missionaries. On one occassion Rev John Adey was unable to travel 20 miles to preach so he sent John.
On 6th October 1850 he preached his first sermon at Kingswood Chapel, Bristol, he was invited back and on 31st March 1851 he began work as the minister in Bristol where he increased the congregation from 180 to 342.
He was was one of the secretaries of the Bristol Auxiliary to the London Missionary Society, he was an advocate of the cause of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors and he was known as the childrens friend, there is a Sunday School Memorial to him in Arnos Vale.
The 1868 Congregational Year Book has a lengthy obituary for John which also contains interesting information about the Adey Non Conformist background.
He had the following children:
56. Daniel Pratt (Lucy Adey , Daniel , John , John , John ) was born in 1815. He died in 1873.
He had the following children:
64. Richard Adey (John , Richard , Richard , John , John ) was born in 1782.
They had the following children: