He was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts on May 27, 1650, and graduated from Harvard College in 1671.[1][2] His parents, William Adams Jr., and his wife, whose maiden name was likely Star, both died by the time Adams was nine years old.[2] After that, he was raised by two uncles.[2] He began a diary by writing that he was "born a sinner into an evil world," a notion that demonstrated a Calvanistic religious philosophy as well as a suspicion that God was punishing him.[3] After being denied entrance into Harvard in August 1667, he returned a month later with his uncle and was accepted.[3] He was graduated in August 1671.[4]
Ministry
Two weeks after graduating from Harvard, John Allin, the minister in Dedham, died.[3] Adams was asked to preach on several occasions following Allin's death, having been somewhat acquainted with the community beforehand.[4]
After three calls, he finally accepted to be ordained as minister in Dedham on December 3, 1673.[5][6][7][1] As there was no official parsonage, he rented the house of his predecessor.[1] Two of his sermons survive, including one given before the Great and General Court and another given in Dedham on November 21, 1678.[1] His tenure in Dedham was mostly calm, save for some complaints about seating arrangements in the meetinghouse and delays in paying his salary.[8]
He died August 17, 1685.[1][9][6][10] Prayers at funerals were not customary in that day but one was offered at his, one of the first ever recorded in New England.[1] He is buried in the Old Village Cemetery in the tomb of Timothy Dwight.[11]
Family
On October 21, 1674, Adams married Mary Manning of Cambridge.[12] They had three children, Mary, Eliphalet, and William.[12] Mary died on June 24, 1679.[12] On March 29, 1680, he married Alice Bradford of Plymouth.[12] They had four more children: Elizabeth, Alice, William, and Abiel, who was born after Adams' death.[12] The first son named William died before his first birthday, as did daughter Mary.[12]Eliphalet Adams served as a minister in New London, Connecticut.[6]