As would naturally be expected, he took a lively interest in all efforts made to promote the cause of literature, the sciences, and the arts, and was connected with several literary associations. He was an original Member of the Northern Academy of Arts and Sciences, and took an active part at the time of its formation, as presiding officer. He was also a Member of the New Hampshire Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Maryland Academy of Sciences and Literature, and the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, Copenhagen. He was a Trustee of Kimball Union Academy in Plainfield, and sustained the office of President of the Board of Trustees twenty years, and, for about as long a time, he was President of the New Hampshire Bible Society.
Professor Adams was twice married. His first wife was Alice Frink, daughter of Dr. John Frink, a distinguished physician of Rutland, Ms., by whom he had five children, Alice A., Adeline A., John, Charles A. and Harriet R., of whom John only is now living. He graduated at Dartmouth College in 1817, and is now a practising attorney in Mobile, Ala. His second wife was Beulah Minot, daughter of Dr. Timothy Minot of Concord, Ms. By her he had two children, Eliza M. and Ebenezer. The daughter is now the wife of Prof. Ira Young. Ebenezer was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1831, and died in July, 1837. Of seven children, therefore, two only survive. The last Mrs. Adams still lives, and resides with her daughter, Mrs. Young.
Professor Adams "was one of the few remaining old school citizens and scholars of New England, and was hardly surpassed by any of that venerable class of men in intelligence, patriotism, and Christian virtue." He possessed a well balanced mind, "was judicious, magnanimous, and firm." He died calm and happy in the triumphs of religion, August 15, 1841, in the 76th year of his age, from ossification of the heart.
HON. JAMES SAVAGE OF BOSTON.
The subject of this sketch was born July 11, 1784, in Boston, where his progenitors since 1635 have always lived. His father was Habijah, and his mother, Elizabeth, daughter of John Tudor. Of eight children, five sons and three daughters, born before him, two sons died in infancy; the rest attained full age, as did also two sons younger than himself.
His mother died before he arrived at his fourth year of age; and his father, by reason of ill health, was unable to take charge of him in his early education. The Rev. Dr. Thacher preached on the occasion of his mother's death from Psalms xxvii: 10—"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up."
The father of Mr. Savage was son of Thomas, by his first wife, Deborah Briggs, who was, it is believed, a granddaughter of John Cushing, one of the Judges of the Superior Court of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. John, his father's elder brother, was father of Thomas of York, Me., from whom descended the Savages in Bangor. His grandfather's second wife was Sarah Cheever, who survived him nearly fifty-one years. One of their children was the late Ezekiel Savage, Esq., of Salem, H. C. 1778, father of Rev. Thomas Savage of Bedford, N. H., H. C. 1813, and several other children, of whom one, Sarah, distinguished herself by the composition of some interesting books.
Habijah, father of Mr. Savage's grandfather Thomas, was educated at Harvard College, where he received his first degree, in 1695. He married Hannah, who had been a short time widow of ---- Anderson. She was a daughter of Samuel Phillips, distinguished among booksellers in Boston one hundred and fifty years ago, as John Dunton mentions in the entertaining account of his visit to our country, published in his "Life and Errors." Arthur, a younger brother of his great-grandfather, married another daughter of Mr. Phillips, and one of their children was Samuel Phillips Savage, father of the late Samuel Savage, H. C. 1766, of Barnstable.
Thomas, father of the last named Habijah, born 1640, was second child of Thomas, who emigrated from England. His mother was Faith, daughter of William and the celebrated Ann Hutchinson, who was a speaking if not a ruling elder in the First Church in Boston. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Joshua Scottow, author of two curious tracts in the latter part of the 17th century. With two of his brothers, Ephraim, H. C. 1662, and Perez, he served at various times and places in King Philip's war, in the early part of which, their father was in the chief command of the forces of the Colony of Massachusetts. Ephraim gained some reputation in command of one of the vessels of the fleet, in the daring but disastrous expedition from Boston against Quebec, by Sir William Phips, in 1690, and Thomas was at the head of one of the three regiments engaged in it, and wrote a brief and modest account of the service, published the following year at London. He died July 2, 1705.