Location

The plaque is on the back of one of the choristers stalls in the chancel.
South side, front row, tenth from the west end.
 

Memorial
Plaque to Major General Henry William Adams, C.B.
 
Inscription
MAJOR GENERAL HENRY
WILLIAM ADAMS C.B.
DIED AT SCUTARI OF
WOUNDS RECEIVED AT
BATTLE OF INKER-
MAN DEC 19 1855 AGE 49.
DD: OFFICERS OF 49TH REGT.

 

Further Information (From the 1873 Guide to the Church)
 
Major General Adams commanded the 18th Royal Irish in the following operations - in China, 1840-42, (medal) viz., the first taking of Chusan, storming and taking the heights above the city of Canton, capture of Amoy, second capture of Chusan, storming and taking the fortified heights of Chinhae and capture of the city of Ningpo. Was Brigadier General with the army of the east, commanded a brigade of the 2nd Division at the battles of the Alma and Inkerman, and died at Scutari Barracks, Dec 19th from wounds received in the latter action, before his well earned honours reached him.
[The honours in question was the 2nd class of the Order of the Bath. As this award would have been known long before the plaque was dedicated it is not clear why the full title was not used on it.]
 
NOTE: The former Redcoat website records the date of death as 17th December 1854 (rather than 19th December 1855) which seems more likely given that the battle of Inkerman was fought on 5th November 1854 which would mean that he died 42 days later rather than 409 days later.
 
Heroes of the Crimea
In his book Our Heroes of the Crimea George E. Ryan wrote:-
"Henry William Adams was born on the 31st of January, in the year 1805. He was the eldest son of Cadwallader Adams, Esq, of Anstey Hall, Warwickshire, and at whose death, in 1842, he succeeded to estates which had been vested in the family during the reign of Henry VIII. He was nephew to Mr. Serjeant Adams of the Middlesex sessions. He entered the army in the year 1823, when in his eighteenth year. As things go in the army, this brave officer has had something like good luck on his side, for after seventeen years service he, in 1840, became lieutenant-colonel in the 18th Royal Irish. He commanded this corps in the China war. He was at the first capture of Chusan, the storming of the heights of Canton, the capture of Amoy, the second capture of Chusan, the storming of the heights of Chinhae, and the capture of Ningpo. At the close of the operations, Lieutenant-Colonel Adams exchanged into the 49th, and returned with that regiment to England. He afterwards served with the corps in England for some time, then in Ireland, and in the Mediterranean. In 1844 he married Catherine Adams, his cousin, and second daughter of the late Rev. Thomas Coker Adams, who had been vicar of Anstey for forty-three years.
In 1854 he was appointed to the command of a Brigade of the army of the East, and he consequently became brigadier-general.
In the battle of the Alma he played a distinguished part, in Sir de Lacy Evans's division, having crossed the river and ascended the heights with that general, under a murderous fire. General Adams received the thanks of Lord Raglan, in his lordship's despatch to the Duke of Newcastle. At the battle of Inkermann, under Pennefather, Adams greatly distinguished himself. The Second Division had very hard fighting for some two hours before relief could be brought to it, and this officer was most to be found wherever his presence could cheer his men. General Adams was, however, severely wounded, and had to be borne from the field. He died on the 19th of December, at Scutari, some seven days after he had been promoted to the rank of major-general, for his services both at Alma and Inkerman. His character is that of a brave soldier and a true Christian. His charitable deeds in his native village are well remembered, and the poor have cause to mourn the loss of one who never refused aid to the unfortnnate. His death-bed was attended by Mrs. Adams, who, when news of his having been wounded reached this country, departed for Scutari, where she arrived just in time to receive the last words of one who, dear to her, is no less a loss to a country whose intelligent soldiers are her safety in times such as these. General Adams is succeeded in his estates by his brother, Captain George Adams, R.N. Two of his brothers are serving with the army in the Crimea Lieutenant-Colonel Adams, of the 28th, and Major Adams, of the 49th. The latter-named officer acted as aide-de-camp to the deceased general, and was slightly wounded in the same battle which deprived the service of the subject of this notice."
 

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