James Adams
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
One military record, WW1 Pension Ledgers, gave his father's name: James Adams of Chapel Lane, Kilburn, near Derby. All other records gave his next of kin as his brother William Adams of Barton in Fabis. The census of 1911 gave his place of birth as Barton on Fabis, but military records have Basford, Nottingham, the registration district for Barton in Fabis: James Adams b. 1881 reg. A/M/J Basford, mother's maiden name Stacey (probably an error for 'Tacey'). James joined the Royal Marine Light Artillery before 1911 as at the time of the census he was on furlough and recorded as a visitor in the household of his uncle and aunt, John and Charlotte Tacey, in Barton in Fabis. Also in the Tacey household in 1911 was James' brother William Adams (39), who was a farm labourer. William was born in Barton in Fabis in about 1872 and was recorded living in the village with John and Charlotte on the two previous census. However, in 1881 at the age of 8 he was living in Barton in Fabis with his grandparents William and Martha Tacey. James has not yet been identified on a census earlier than 1911. His uncle, John Tacey, with whom his brother William lived in Barton in Fabis, had a stepson, John Atkinson, by his wife Charlotte, who also lived with them until leaving home before the 1911 Census. John Atkinson served in the 1st Bn. Leicestershire Regiment (17149 L/Cpl) and was killed on 15 Sept 1916 (Thiepval Memorial). He is also commemorated on the Barton in Fabis memorial.
Last ship: HMS Pegasus HMS Pegasus was a Pelorous Class cruiser, built in the late nineteenth century and recommissioned in 1913 for the Cape Squadron at Simonstown, South Africa. The squadron comprised three cruisers of which two, Astraea and Pegasus (Commander Ingles), were based at Zanzibar for coastal patrols. The ship had been searching for the German cruiser SMS Konigsburg but had broken off the search for essential maintenance at Zanzibar on 19 September. The captain of SMS Konisburg was aware of this and attacked Pegasus at sunrise the following day. Pegasus was outgunned and disabled in less than ten minutes with at least 39 killed and over 50 wounded. The captain struck the colours and raised the white flag at which Konigsburg ceased fire. Pegausus was unsalvageable. James was killed in the action on 20 September and is buried in Zanzibar (Grave Island) Cemetery, Tanzania.
CWGC - History of Zanzibar 'Grave Island' Cemetery (extract). 'A naval cemetery dating from before the First World War. In the extension is the grave of 24 petty officers and men of HMS "Pegasus", killed in action on 20 September 1914 when the ship was sunk by SMS "Konigsberg."' Nottingham Evening Post, 24 September 1914: ‘Notts. Victim on the Pegasus. The sad intimation has been received at Barton of the death on board HMS Pegasus, presumably during its bombardment by the Konigsberg in Zanzibar Harbour, of James Adams, a nephew of Mr John Tacey, of Barton.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) There is a service record for a James Adams, b. Basford 5 (sic) June 1881, who enlisted in the Royal Marines as a musician. He joined at the Recruit Depot Walmer on 29 April 1896 but was discharged on 24 December 1898, 'not likely to become an efficient musician'. If this is one and the same person, James may have then transferred to the RMLI.
