Adams, Lawrence
Lawrence Adams was a native of Ireland and was born April 22, 1804. His parents, John and Annie Byron Adams, were also natives of Ireland. His father came to America in 1820, but returned to Ireland five years later where he died in 1830. The mother died in 1812 at her native place. Lawrence is the youngest in a family of fifteen children and came with his father to America when sixteen years of age and began learning blacksmithing in Strasburg, PA. After staying there for ten years he came to Spencer where he worked at his trade and ran a small confectionery for six years, after which time he returned to Pennsylvania. In 1837 he was married to Mary Blair, a native of Ireland. By this union there was one child Maria, who died in July 1841. The mother died January 4, 1882. After his marriage he returned to Spencer and worked at his trade for many years and also ran a confectionery. After retirement he lived with his adopted son Solomon Fouts, an energetic carpenter of Spencer. Mr Adams has reared and educated five orphan children which fact plainly shows that he is possessed of rare goodness and kindness of heart. He was a consistent and active member of the Presbyterian Church.
Source: Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, 1884. Edited by Charles Blanchard