Richard Life Adams

• Birth date            1840 at Wisbeck, Cambridgeshire
• Baptism                27 August 1840
• Marriage              12 May 1864 to Fanny Eliza, eldest daughter of William Crane at Guildhall Chapel Canterbury
• Death date          29 April 1900* at Eastbourne

Richard Life Adams was born in July-August 1840 at Wisbeck Cambridgeshire, the son of William Adams (qv), architect, and his wife Maria Adams. Following his marriage in 1864, he moved to Leeds where he set up in architectural practice. Between 1866 and 1886 he was in partnership with John Kelly in Park Row, Leeds. They were in practice variously at 18 Park Row, 7 Commercial Street and 28 Bond Street during the period and in 1882 both Adams and Kelly had home addresses in Newton Grove, Chapeltown-Road, Potter Newton. Adams was a member of the LYAS. from 1879 to 1885, but did not appear to have taken a leading role in the Society. In 1873 he was appointed architect to the Leeds School Boards a position he held officially until 1879 and unofficially until 1886 although the Board had decided to return to the system of commissioning individual architects. Adams continued to design the schools because his experience of Board School design proved invaluable. During the 13-year period he designed Bennett Road School in the study area in 1880 and many others elsewhere such as Armley Blenheim., Beeston., Chapeltown, Kirkstall, and Woodhouse. As a partnership, Adams and Kelly designed many buildings in and around Leeds such as the Church Institute in Albion Place, St, Martin's Church Potter Newton, and St. Luke's Beeston. In 1865 they designed All Hallows Church, Burley which was built in the Gothic style in 1886-9. The last school designed by Adams was at Whingate in 1886 for in that year he ended his association with the Leeds School Board and dissolved his partnership with Kelly. A notice in the London Gazette recorded that Richard Life Adams and John Kelly, carrying on business as Architects and Surveyors, at Bond Street, Leeds, under the style or firm of Adams and Kelly, and at 5, Westminster Chambers, London, under the style or firm of Kelly and Adams was dissolved by mutual consent on 27 February 1886. The practice was continued by John Kelly, who formed a new partnership with Edward Birchall. Meanwhile Adams had embarked on a new career as a broker in stocks and shares. In August 1886 he sued Samuel Charles Hatch for breach of contract and slander. The case extending over five days was widely reported at the time.

The Leeds Times records the death of Richard Life Adams at “Canonbury,” Cambridge Road, Eastbourne on 29 April 1900.  By 1901 his widow, Fanny Eliza, and his sons Bernard and Alexander (professors of skating) were living in St Marylebone, London

*R L Adams’ date of death is usually and widely reported as having occurred in 1883. However, no evidence has been found in support of this date. Rather contemporary records suggest that the date of 1900 is correct.

Reference    London Gazette 5 March 1886 page 1099 – dissolution of partnership
Reference    Manchester Times 14 August 1886
Reference    Leeds Times 5 May 1900 page 16
Reference    Frank Trowell: Speculative Housing in Leeds, Thesis 1982