Timothy Adams, optician

I am looking for any information on Timothy Adams, born around 1871 in Manchester. We believe he was an Optician in Coventry in the early 1900`s. Tim, is obviously no longer alive, but I wonder if there are any of his relatives who might remember him . He had a cousin, Thomas Adams who lived in Leicester, sisters Sarah and Florence, brothers William and Robert. His parents were John Adams who was a watchmaker and Bridget.

Hello & welcome to our forum Bluebell We do indeed hope that some info will come in response to your request. Best wishes.

Hi Bluebell! Timothy Adams is a hard man to find on the census forms - found one in 1881 when he was 2 years old in Mill street(?), Llangefni, Anglesey, Wales: LINK to google map -- -- John Adams (Occupation:Watchmaker), 38. Bridget Adams, 38. William Adams, 10. Robert Adams, 8. Sarah Adams, 6. Timothy Adams (Born:Manchester, Lancashire, England), 2 (therefore born about 1879?). Florence Adams, (6 weeks). == Can't seem to see any other records yet??? - did he perhaps use another name? Regards, Luke.

Also a census form that may (?) be Timothy adams' Father John when 18 years old {based on the previous census form}: 1861 census in COVENTRY: William Adams 46 Eliza Adams 45 James Adams 23 William Adams 21 John Adams 18 Eliza Adams 16 Ann Adams 14 Thomas Adams 12 Charlotte Adams 8 George Adams 3 Joseph Adams 6/12 Not only does the date of birth of John Adams match the previous census form - but both James, William and John are Watch makers with their father William being a watch g[u]ilder - could this possibly be Timothy's family? Don't know if this is correct, or if you already have this info...

I agree with mickw, well done Luke Timothy Adams appears to have been highly transient. I like to think I have a feel for a good search but he alluded me. I can't find anything on his business life in Coventry and nothing so far in 1901 or 1911 census in the Coventry area. It may help to find some details on his death certificate?

Thanks Mickw and Foxcote, I agree, it's like a brick wall; can't seem to get past 1881. Going backwards is fine but after 1881 seems really difficult- I was wondering if there was some name changing going on because its a bigger gap than just "census straying".... found near to nothing on Timothy Adams but did find a possible (?) baptism record for his father John Adams in Coventry [( 25-12-1842) John Adams. Parents: William and Eliza. Occupation of Father: Gilder. Parish of St. John the Baptist.] And a possible (?) birth Record: [John Adams OCT- NOV- DEC 1842, Coventry. (Volume 16. Page: 368)]. Maybe we're just on the wrong track all together! , Luke

It is as if all of John's family disappeared - I wonder if they emigrated? However, I couldn't even find the marriage of John and Bridget. John was certainly an itinerant watch gilder, wasn't he?

Bluebell, what is the information that leads you to believe he was an optician and that he spent some time in Coventry? Maybe we could get some clues from that information and do some collective sleuthing.

Hi to everybody who responded to my quest for Timothy Adams. The full story is this. Timothy, we assume is the son of John and Bridget Adams...1881 Wales Census. John is the son of William and Elizabeth...as you all spotted by the Coventry Census returns. Now here is where it starts to get tricky. Our direct family is with Thomas Adams, who we think was a brother to John...the Census records seem to confirm this. He also was a watchmaker. In 1884 there was a daughter Ellen and in 1886 a son Thomas born, in Banbury to Thomas Adams and Mary, nee Parry. So far so good. However in the 1891 Census Mary appears in Coventry, with not only her two children, but the three youngest children of John and Bridget...Sarah, Florence and Timothy. John, Bridget and Thomas seem to have disappeared. In 1901, Mary is in Leicester with Ellen and Thomas. My husband who is the grand-son of this junior Thomas remembers meeting Timothy in Leicester in approximately 1955 and the family word was that he was an optician. The Optical Society have no record of him, but suggest he might have been a manufacturing optician. We have one photo, taken in Leicester at this time. When Thomas died in Leicester in 1969, there was quite a large group from Coventry at his funeral...but who they were we do not know. There was always a mystery surrounding the family but nobody would reveal anything. I have a few ideas as to what might have happened, but just wondered if there was anybody out there who was a descendant of the family. We would dearly love to know the truth.