Dr. Charles G. Adams was born in Keene, N. H., March 7, 1793. He was educated at Dartmouth college, from which he was graduated in 1810. Though one of the youngest of his class his proficiency is highly spoken of by his associates. After leaving college he attended for a year or more the law school at Litchfield, Conn. He entered as a student the office of Samuel Prescott of Keene, in compliance with the wishes of his father, who sought to spare his only child a life like his of toil and exposure in the medical profession. But young Adams, believing that a more active life would better preserve his health, left the study of law for that of medicine. He completed his studies at the Harvard Medical school, from which he received his degree. He was soon after appointed demonstrator of anatomy in the school of medicine there. He was subsequently tendered a professorship in the medical school at Pittsfield, also in that of Dartmouth, but he resolved to devote his time and energies to the practice of the profession of his choice, and attained an eminence surpassed by few if any in this part of the state. He scorned pretension and quackery, and his intercourse with his patients was characterized more by a conviction of duty and tender solicitude than the desire for reputation. His talents, his blameless moral character, his unobtrusive, gentlemanly and dignified manner, gained for him the respect of all. Says a contemporary: “He was cautious rather than ardent, well-balanced and self-collected, and always so guarded in opinion and language, that, while he was ever ready to do justice to the claims of others, his was the temper never ruffled, and his the lips never deformed by slander or invectives.” Like his father, he possessed much of the old-school hospitality. He was replete with wit and anecdote, and liberal in his views. His professional duties prevented him from engaging in public affairs.
In November, 1821, he married Mary Ann King, of Boston, Mass., by whom he had thirteen children, eight of whom preceded him in his death. Much of his happiness was found in his home. His devoted wife, even though surrounded by her own heavy cares, never failed to interest herself in her husbands affairs, and cheerfully extended a kindly welcome to all who came within their doors. They bowed with resignation and submission when death snatched ruthlessly away both bud and blossom from their happy home. Great was their sorrow when their eldest son-a youth of fourteen and of great promise-a member of the freshman class in Dartmouth college, died at Hanover. Then after an interval the eldest, a young woman, beautiful both in mind and body, and deservedly idolized, was taken. In one year this affliction was followed by the death of Charles G. Adams, Jr., a physician in full practice in Patterson, N. J., only twenty-five years of age. He graduated at Yale college, where lie won several prizes for Latin composition and received his degree. He studied medicine with his father and graduated at the Harvard Medical school. He was house surgeon one year at the Massachusetts general hospital, where he creditably performed the duties that position devolved on him.
Broken in spirits, by their heavy sorrows, Dr. Adamss constitution, which was never robust, gave way. He still continued his practice, allowing himself little rest, until the winter of 1855, when he was prostrated with rheumatic fever, of which he died April 9, 1856. His widow died March 29, 1885, His surviving children are four daughters and a son-John G. Adams., of inherited literary tastes, a graduate of Dartmouth college, where he received his diploma. He studied medicine after the death of his father, but circumstances led him to adopt the profession of teaching. in which he has achieved success. Mrs. Lemuel Hayward resides on the homestead in Keene; Mrs. R. S. Perkins and Miss Eliza Adams, on the same street; and Mrs. G. F. Hurd, with her children, Mary A Adams Hurd, John and S. Perkins Hurd, in Boston, Mass.