George Frederick Adams (1842-1884)

The following is the text of the obituary published by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) : Memoirs : Obituary Notices 1885 : [174]

George Frederick Adams, only son of the late Mr. George Adams of Aberdare, manager of the Aberdare Iron Company's works, was born on the 9th June 1842, at Ebbw Vale.

He was educated, first at the Normal College School, Swansea, afterwards at Cotham School, Bristol, and finally in the Engineering Department of King's College, London, where he obtained the practical scholarship in 1862.

He then entered the engineering shops of the Ebbw Vale Iron Company at Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire; his uncle, Mr. William Adams, being then the general manager for the Company.

After a three years' residence at Ebbw Vale, he was articled in 1865 to the late Mr. Samuel Dobson. Subsequently, he became the chief assistant to Messrs. Dobson & Brown at Cardiff, and in the beginning of 1870 was taken into that firm, which then became Dobson, Brown, & Adams. As a partner in this firm Mr. Adams was largely engaged in extensive engineering works both in the civil and the mining branches. Among other works, he carried out the extension of the Llynvi and Ogmore Railways into the Avon Valley, the Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway, works on the South Wales Mineral Railway, and winnings for steam-coal in South Wales and Monmouthshire, one of which (the sinking of the Harris's Navigation Colliery) was made the subject of a joint paper by himself and his partner, Mr. Forster Brown, read before the Institution of Civil Engineers in the beginning of 1881, and in respect of which a Telford Premium and a Stephenson Medal were awarded to the authors.

Mr. Adams also co-operated with Mr. Brown in the preparation of a paper upon the South Wales Coalfield, read before the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, when they visited Cardiff in the year 1874.

One of the last works in which Mr. Adams was engaged was the preparation of plans and sections and making other preliminary arrangements in conjunction with Mr. J. Wolfe Barry, Mr. H. M. Brunel, and Mr. Forster Brown, for the Barry Dock and Railway Scheme in the autumn of 1883.

Early in 1882 Mr. Adams caught a severe cold, which settled upon his lungs, and although, after this, he spent a great part of his time in the Riviera, his health continued to decline, and he died at his residence, Keswick House, Cardiff, on the 10th of October 1884. Mr. Adams was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers on the 30th of May 1876; and of the Irons' and Steel Institute in May 1875.

Death of Mr. G. F. Adams, of Cardiff. - 'We regret to announce the death, at his residence in Cardiff on Friday night, of Mr. G. F. Adams, of the firm of Messrs. Brown and Adams, the well-known engineers of the projected Barry Dock and other undertakings. The deceased gentleman was identified in his professional capacity with various important mining works, more especially in Wales, but also in England. It appears that about three years ago he caught a severe cold whilst engaged in making mineral surveys near Swansea, and from this he never really recovered. He went to several health resorts, and had only recently recently returned from Clifton, where he had been staying for three months. Mr. Adams was the son of Mr. Geo. Adams, engineer, Aberdare. He was articled to Mr. Dobson, Cardiff, and in conjunction with his uncle, Mr. W. Adams, Park-place, Cardiff, he became engineer to the Ebbw Vale Works, and afterwards a member of the firm of Messrs. Dobson, Brown and Adams. The deceased gentleman, who was 41 years of age, leaves a widow and eight children.' - The Western Mail [138] [361] 14th October 1884.

Mr. G. F. Adams is buried at Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff according to the Friends of Cathays Cemetery website. [604]