Family background
John Richard Adams was born c1856 in Covenham, Lincolnshire, England, son of John Adams and Dorothy Espenser. He arrived in Sydney in 1878 on the vessel ’Aconcagua’. He married Mary Ellen Rigby (1860-1940) on 7 March 1883 in Sydney and they had the following children: Arthur R (1884), John W (1885), Percival T (1886), Dorothy (1889), John R (1893) and Espenser B (1896). Adams died on 1 January 1939 at his residence 7 Major Street, Coogee, aged 82 years and he was buried in the Church of England Cemetery, Randwick. Adams left a Will and his estate and assets were assessed at £821. He lived at 41 Buckland Street, Waterloo in 1899; he also lived at 123 Wellington Street, Waterloo.
Occupation & interests
John Richard Adams was a cab proprietor & transit commissioner. He was a Freemason and a member of the Loyal Randwick Lodge No 260, MU.
Community activity
Responding to a ratepayers letter in 1899 on the poor state of the road leading to Botany Cemetery, Adams successfully moved that Waterloo Council would assist in every possible way. Adams had heard of a coffin being taken out of a hearse and carried some distance owing to the impassable condition of the road.
Local government service
In 1895 Waterloo Council increased its number of alderman from nine to twelve and after nominations John Richard Adams, Alfred Hole and E T Walsh were elected. Adams was an alderman on Waterloo Council in 1895-1902, representing North Ward.
References
‘Municipal Elections’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 April 1895 p. 8, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14006767
‘Municipal Councils’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February 1899, p. 3. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28250242