Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

PASTOR GEORGE K B and H ALICE ADAMS Née SUTCLIFFE

George Kenneth Baker Adams was born in Whitstable, Kent, England on 30 December 1855 to Edwin Adams (1923-1881) and Alice Philadelphia Goldfinch (b 1824). Edwin was a sailor and served on the following ships:

‘Eliza’ of London, 59 tons, apprentice, 13 Jun 1838-20 May 1844

‘Ellen’ of London, 57 tons, mate, 21 May 1844-24 Nov 1844

‘Alfred’ of Whitstable, 170 tons, mate, 12 Feb 1845-10 Aug 1845

‘Countess of Liverpool’ of Whitstable, 52 tons, master, 11 Aug 1845-24 Aug 1846

‘Industrious’ of Whitstable, 148 tons, master, 26 Aug 1846-25 Mar 1847

‘Equivalent’ of Whitstable, 152 tons, master, 7 Sep 1847-17 Oct 1850

The above information comes from Edwin’s Master’s Certificate of Service, dated 27 December 1850. The family lived at Swan Terrace, Whitstable in 1851 by which time Edwin was classed as a master mariner.

GKB came to Canada with his parents in 1868 and became a Methodist probationer in 1878. He was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1881 with charge of Wood/Medora (Mukoka). See Archeion and “A Chronicle of the people of the Methodist Church in Canada”. GKB married Mary Carmichael in 1882. Mary was born in about 1853 in Brock, Ontario to Alexander Carmichael (b 1819) and Sarah (b 1821). Mary had four siblings, Jane (1848-1910), Janet/Jennette (1850-1903), Donald James (1855-1917) and William Alexander (b 1862).

GKB was journal secretary to the first Manitoba Conference of the Methodist Church in Canada which was held at Wesley College, Winnipeg, beginning 1 August 1883. He was minister for Souris/Milford (Manitoba) in 1884.

GKB and Mary had two children, Ernest (1886-1911) and George Hudson Fieldhouse (b 1886). Mary died on 17 February 1888 in Sifton, Manitoba.

GKB Adams married Henrietta “Alice” Sutcliffe on 23 June 1891 in Brampton, Ontario. She was born in Meadowvale, Ontario, Canada on 2 January 1862 to Joseph Herbert Sutcliffe (1828-1905) and Charlotte Hawkins (1833-1907). Alice came from a large family and had ten siblings, Joseph Edmund (1854-1924), Clarissa Eugenie (1857-1931), Augusta Amelia (1859-1863), Frederick William (1864-1939), Charles Herbert (1865-1886), Emily Charlotte (1866-1919), Thomas Benjamin (1871-1874), James Albert (1871-1950), Alfred Ernest (1873-1874) and Edna Lillian Beatrice (1877-1885). Alice also had a half-sister, Mary Ann (1850-1920) born to Joseph’s first wife, Mary Ann Delmadge (1829-1850).

GKB was minister for Hamilton (Gore St) in 1897.

GKB Adams was the pastor of the 3rd Ave Methodist Church from 1916-1919 during which time the family lived at the Methodist Parsonage at 414 4th Ave N. GKB and Alice had two children, Irene (b 1892) and Joseph Reginald (1896-1917).

Their son Joseph was commissioned a lieutenant, 141st Battalion in 1916. He died at Paschendaele, Belgium on 26 November 1917 and is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery. The Adams Gold Medal continues to be awarded annually by Victoria College, Toronto University in his memory.

Alice died on 15 February 1924 in Lincoln, Ontario. GKB subsequently settled in St Catherine, Nova Scotia.

In his later years GKB Adams travelled widely around the world. GKB married Mary Alice Oakes (b 1881) on 3 September 1930 in Weymouth, Nova Scotia. He died on 21 July 1932 in Lincoln, Ontario.

The family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Adams 1 Tree.