Person    | Male  Born 26/5/1797  Died 23/7/1872

William Bridges Adams

Author and engineer. Born in Woore, Shropshire. He invented the 'Adams Axle' which was used on British trains throughout the steam age. His writings include 'English Pleasure Carriages' and 'Roads and Rails'. Despite his middle name we can't find that he designed any bridges.

The plaque describes him as a 'polemicist' (a person who engages in controversial debate) which is possibly explained by his writings. The list at Wikisource includes articles entitled: 'The Development of Human Food', 'How to Convert London into a Garden', etc.

His second wife was Sarah Flower.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Bridges Adams

Commemorated ati

Sarah and William Adams

On this site lived William Bridges Adams (1797 - 1872) inventor and polemicis...

Read More

Other Subjects

Thames Water

Thames Water

When this authority was formed it took over responsibility for water supply from a number of other bodies including the Metropolitan Water Board.

Group, Engineering, Food & Drink

3 memorials
Sir Nigel Gresley

Sir Nigel Gresley

Locomotive engineer. Born Edinburgh into a family that arrived with William the Conqueror and were granted a hereditary baronetcy in the early 17th century. Raised in Derbyshire. Rapidly rose from ...

Person, Engineering, Scotland

2 memorials
Norman E. Harrison, A.M.I.Mech.E.

Norman E. Harrison, A.M.I.Mech.E.

Junior 2rd Engineer on the RMS Titanic. A full résumé of his life can be found on the Encyclopedia Titanica website.  He is also commemorated on the Engineers Memorial, Andrews East Park, Above Ba...

Person, Engineering, Tragedy

1 memorial
Brown Lenox & Co

Brown Lenox & Co

Created as Brown & Co, by Samuel Brown, a Naval Captain.  Became Brown Lenox & Co in 1828 following Brown going into partnership with his cousin, Samuel Lenox in 1806.  The West Ferry Road ...

Group, Commerce, Engineering

1 memorial
Royal Brass Foundry

Royal Brass Foundry

The Woolwich riverfront had been used as a dockyard and arms store for decades so having the foundry here made sense. It's construction was in response to a fatal explosion at Bagley's Foundry, jus...

Building, Armed Forces, Engineering

2 memorials

Previously viewed

Bunhill burial ground - 2

Bunhill burial ground - 2

EC1, City Road

The 5 piers on the City Road boundary each carry a golden inscription.  We list them here south to north. There is a common misapprehens...

17 subjects commemorated
Southern Housing Group

Southern Housing Group

Initially the Samuel Lewis Housing Trust, set up after the death of the founder in 1901. Their first housing development was in Liverpool Road, Islington. From their website: "As one of southern E...

Group, Property, Social Welfare

3 memorials
SongLink International

SongLink International

SongLink International is a tipsheet providing leads to music publishers and songwriters (we don't know what this means, but perhaps you do).

Group, Music / songs

1 memorial
Treatment Rooms 2 - Herman Wallace

Treatment Rooms 2 - Herman Wallace

W5, 199 Acton Lane

In our rather shady photo the Fred Hampton mural can just be seen, low down, below the window on the left side of the building.  The Reic...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Capt. Simmon Latutin GC

Capt. Simmon Latutin GC

Born Euston, the son of poor Jewish immigrant tailors. He attended the North London Polytechnic School 1931-3 and later won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music to study violin. Within four ...

Person, Music / songs

War dead, WW2
2 memorials