John Esselmont Adams 
Biography of John Esselmont Adams
John Esslemont Adams was born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, on 25th May 1865. His father John was a schoolmaster and the family lived at Gilbertfield, Hamilton. Esselmont, as he was known, went up to the University of Glasgow at a young age. He was just fourteen when he first matriculated in 1879 to study Latin and Greek. He studied for thirteen years, mainly Latin and Greek, although in the session 1882-83 he took classes in Natural Philosophy, Mathematics and English, and in 1883-84 he took Mathematics and Natural Philosophy again before returning to Classics and finally graduating MA in 1888.
He was very successful in his studies and won a Coulter Prize, of £2, 10s, for the best Latin essay on 'The Cases Which Led to the Decline of Sparta in the Fourth Century B.C.'. He then graduated in 1892 with a BD having studied at the Free Church Training College. His first charge was as minister for Dreghorn and Perceton in Ayrshire. In 1902 he married 28 year old Marion Gallacher from Dreghorn. Their marriage took place in the United Free Church in Newhaven, Edinburgh on 13 August 1902.
When war broke out he was Minister of the West United Free Church in Aberdeen and he went out to the Western Front to serve with the Army Chaplains Department. Esslemont served as a colonel in the Great War, and was part of the famous Christmas Day truce of 1914. More can be read about his service in his Roll of Honour entry .
Summary
John Esselmont Adams
Born 25 May 1865.
GU Degrees: MA, 1888; BD, 1892;
University Link: Graduate
WWI: View WWI Roll of Honour Entry
Additional Information: R3/1/1 (vol 2)
Record last updated: 22nd Sep 2016