Ralph Sidney Adams (????-1854)

This family is represented by Gerard C. Adams and Gerry’s oldest known ancestors are Rudolph Sidney Adams and his (first son) Henry Sidney Adams. Although unknown at this time, it is believed that Rudolph probably originated from Germany and migrated to England where Henry was born. Henry migrated to Philadelphia, PA.

DS Note: Update 1/6/2019 – from Gerry –  my Big-Y sequences put me into R-A5625 with no other known people so far. Then this R-A5625 became recently  R-BY17709 and matches only with Becky’s family A328 (her uncle): Robert Stanley Adams Sr. Paternal: William Green Adams b. 1819 Carrol Co., TN – my oldest known ancestor Henry Sidney Adams was born 1818 so might have been a cousin or brother of William Green Adams, perhaps one that did not migrate south as he lists PA as birth place.

Contact: Gerald Adams > to contact Gerry please leave a comment to this page.

Data taken from personal family file.

Generation 1 – Rudolph Sidney Adams (b.? – d. 1854)

Married: Caroline ? (b. 1787 – d. 1856)

1. Henry Sidney Adams (b. 1819 England – d. 26 Jan 1860 Philadelphia, PA)

Generation 2 – Henry Sidney Adams (b. 22 Nov 1819 England – d. 26 Jan 1860 Philadelphia, PA)

Married: Matilda G. Tormin (b. 1817 Germany – d. 26 Jan 1893 PA) Married: 10 Jan 1852

1. Rudolphus Adams (abt. 1853 PA – d. 13 Jul 1854 PA)
2. Charles Howell Adams (b.1856 PA – d. 1891 LA) Married: Marie Georgina Ziegler

Generation 3 – Charles Howell Adams (b. 1856 PA – d. 1891 New Orleans, LA)

Married: Marie Georgina Ziegler (

1. Edwin Zeigler Adams Sr.
2. Charles Henry Adams (b. 1889 –  d. 1964 Galveston, TX)
3. Pierre Louis Adams [possibly Philip] (b. 1891 – d. 1942)

Notes from Gerry re: his family:

Oldest Adams Family Members

Henry Sidney Adams born Nov 22, 1819 died Jan 26 1860 husband of Mathilde Tormin. Residence at death was 1306 Chestnut Street and interned at Mount Moriah cemetary.

Family tradition says he was a “Supercargo”-a nautical term for business agent of owner aboard merchant-trading ships. His religious preference was Protestant.

He was the son of a Rudolph Sidney Adams who died in 1854 and his mother was Caroline born 1787 died 1856

Mathilde Tormin (Mrs. Henry Sidney Adams) born 1817 died 1893. She was a native of Germany. Married in Jan 10, 1852. She died at 2:30 am also on Jan 26^th. She was a resident of Philadelphia, PA. She traveled to New Orleans for the Christening of her first grandson [Edwin Zeigler Adams Sr., my Grandfather, baptismal at St. Alphonsus Church, then 68 yrs old. Many of the younger brothers Tormins of Mathilde were in Hamburg. A photo shows the family in Hannover.

Once widowed she operated a retail notions (sewing supply) store for many years in Philadelphia (elsewhere called a sewing-supply shop). She died in Philadelphia and it is said that her body was shipped to Germany. No obituary exists in Philadelphia for her. Her sister Amelia worked with her for some time but returned to Germany.

Henry Sidney Adams a native of England married Mathilde Tormin in 10 January 1852, THEN emigrated to the USA. There only child was Charles Howell Adams born in 10 July 1856 .

Justin Rudolf Tormin born 1768 died 13 May 1855 Father of Mathilde, Sister of Mathilde: Amalia Tormin born 1824, died in Germany. Mathilde was assisted by her unmarried sister Amelia for many years in operation the sewing-supply store in Philadelphia, PA.

Amalia returned to Germany and there is a picture of with her sister Emana Tormin Mayer and other family members after 1901 taken by a Hannover photographer Alex Mohlen. Mathilde’s brothers Adolph and Louis are listed as Hamburg, but this may have been their place of birth or their residence. Another brother was Rudolph, see below.

Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck (umlatt over the u) were in the Kingdom of Hannover in the German Confederation under King George I of Great Britian, from Mathilde’s birth to her 49^th year. Lubeck is 36 miles NE of Hamburg.  [Why was this information on Lubeck given by my Dad?] Dad mentions “Leibeck” as either location of birth or residence for Colonel Rudolph Tormin, the brother closest to age with Mathilde..

Mathilde’s mothers maiden name was Blumenthal Amalie Tormin nee Blumenthal born 1796 died Oct 13, 1831 at 35 yrs old Mathilde was oldest at 14 yrs of 7 children the youngest had been born in 1827 Charles Howell Adams born 1856; died 1891 in New Orleans, LA. Notes on his death were written by his mother Mathilde then 74 years old.  He was married to Marie Georgina Ziegler. They were the parents of my Grandfather Edwin Ziegler Adams Sr., C. Henry Adams and Pierre Louis Adams [elsewhere was this not Philip?]

Charles Henry Adams born 1889, died 1964 in Galveston, Texas second son of Charles Howell Adams and Marie Zeigler called himself C. Henry Adams. Many children and 22 grandchildren.

Philip (or Pierre)Louis Adams born 1891 died 1942 Third and youngest child of Charles Howell Adams and Marie G. Zeigler Called himself Louis. He had a daughter Marie, and son (Philip or Pierre Louis Adams Jr.).

One of the food distributors in New Orleans was the longtime partnership of William B. Schmidt and Francis M. Ziegle, whose establishment was on Peters Street near Poydras. A picture exists of the store front in Jewell’s Crescent City Illustrated, 1873, also in New Orleans, a pictorial history from earliest times to the present day by Leonard V. Huber. ISBN 0-517-506882.

The Lake Lawn Metairie Cemertary, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. contains the F. W. Ziegler tomb [mausoleum] with hand carved lettering. Members in the tomb include:

George M.	1851
Severin Ziegler	1853
Emilia Louisa	1857
Adrianna Paulina	1861
Virginia Adriann	1874
Wilhelmina	1876
Adrianna Weissenburger	1886
Stephan Ziegler	1888
Francis M. Ziegler	1901
Charles Howell Adams	1906
Ferdinand Ziegler	1913
Barbara Adele Baldwin	1920
Francis M. Ziegler	1922
Marie Georgina Ziegler	1928
Charles W. Ziegler	1936
Mrs. Elizabeth M. Ziegler	1941
Philip Louis Adams (Sr. crossed out)	1942
Edwin Ziegler Adams (my grandfather)	1944
Christine Foro Ziegler	1960
Garrison Baby	1960
Charles Henry Adams	1963
Alfred M. Ziegler Sr.	1963
Francis Gordon Ziegler	1966
Harold F. Ziegler	1968
Ferdinand F. Ziegler	1972
Marguerite Baim Adams	1974

Additional research on Gerry’s ancestors was provided by Becky Adams Carson:

In Summary for Henry Sidney Adams:

1850 Census indicates he was born in Pennsylvania abt. 1817.  He died 26 Jan 1860 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  His future wife Matilda Tormin was apparently in the USA in 1850 census with her brother Louis at the same boarding house as Henry Adams.  By 1854 Henry S and Matilda Adams bury their infant first son Rudolph.  Jerry Adams seems fairly sure Henry and Matilda married in Hamburg, Germany.  Possibly Henry and Matilda traveled to her home where they married and stayed in Germany for some time.  Rudolph may even have been born in Germany.  I didn’t find any baptism so far for Rudolph in Philadelphia.  I’m kind of thinking baby Rudolph probably was born in Germany in 1853.

Where Rudolph Sidney Adams, father of Henry S. was born is still a question.  Possibly Rudolph S. Adams was born in America or England and it was his grandson Rudolph Adams who was born in Germany 1853 and died in Pennsylvania 13 Jul 1854.

Charles Howell Adams second son of Henry and Matilda was baptized 7 Dec 1856 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  There is another Adams family going to same church as Henry and Matilda.  They were Samuel D Adams and his wife Sophia Hampton Adams.  Somebody to research anyway.    Samuel appears to be the son of Charles Adams b. 1812 in New Jersey and his wife Amanda Howe.  Charles was a bank clerk and was apparently in Philadelphia as early as 1830 at least.

Apparently Adams had a partner named Jellett in Philadelphia.  Also, if you google map 103 S. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA you will find Adams & Jellett shop address is now a grocer shop.  Kind of cool.

The details:

1850 Census Place: Philadelphia Dock Ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: M432_817; Page: 487B;  Family Number: 468

Henry S Adams Age: 32 Birth Year: abt 1818 Birthplace: Pennsylvania Gender: Male

Household Members: Name Age :  appears to be a boarding house.

Henry S Adams 32

Lewis Tornis 30 (This appears to be Matilda’s brother Loius Charles Tormin)

Matilda Tornis Age: 28 Birth Year: abt 1822 Birthplace: Germany Gender: Female

Henry S Adams Birth Date: abt 1817 Death Date: 26 Jan 1860 Death Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Age at Death: 43 Burial Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gender: Male Cemetery: Mount Moriah

FHL Film Number: 1977063 Source Information:

Ancestry.com. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Original data:

Charles Howell Adams  Birth Date:  abt 1856 Event Type:  Baptism  Baptism Date:  7 Dec 1856  Baptism Place:  Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Father Name:  Henry S Adams  Mother Name:  Matilda

Organization Name:  Grace Church Episcopal Chapel

Source Citation: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 1078.

Rudolphus Adams Birth Date: abt 1854 Death Date: 13 Jul 1854 Death Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Age at Death: 11 months Gender: Male Mother: Mrs H S Adams

FHL Film Number: 1927895 Source Information:

Ancestry.com. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Original data:  “Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2008, 2010. From originals housed at the Philadelphia City Archives. “Death Records.

Matilda G. Adams widow Henry S. Adams (Adams & Jellett) 103 S. 13th St. Gender: F (Female) Residence Year:  1868 Residence Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Spouse: Henry S Adams

Publication Title: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1868

Source Information:  Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories (Beta) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Matilda Adams Gender: F (Female) Residence Year: 1874 Street Address: S 13th Residence Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Occupation:  Trimings widow of Henry S Adams

 

From Becky to Gerald regarding Philadelphia City Directory (p 135)

Gerry, check this out.

Response from Gerry:

This is now the first mention of a member of the Jellett family. Also the description of the products is more detailed. This also makes me more aware of the environment the son, then 12yrs.

From Becky to David re: search for Gerry’s relatives:

If you have some time and we know are great in the wilderness of Kentucky and the internet…could you do some huntin:

Emma G Ripka father Joseph Ripka (born in Germany, big industrialist shipped to the South a lot), husband Henry Allen Adams died 01 Feb 1878 Aboard The Uss Hartford In South America, At Sea.  Emma has someone named Andrew Adams Ripka born abt 1833 near her in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.  So she has Adams name in family before her marriage to Henry Allen Adams.

Henry A. Adams wife Charlotte H. Bennett  died 10 Jun 1843;  father of Henry Allen Adams.  Charlotte probably committed suicide.  I found something she was originally buried in Ronaldson Cemetery.  Same cemetery as Gerry’s family baby Rudolphus Adams d. 1854 in Philadelphia.  Also, other Laurell Hill Cemetery Adams family went to the same church as Gerry’s family Henry and Matilda Adams (Samuel D. Adams and wife Sophia Maria Hampton.  Maria was part of church of Charlotte Bennett Adams before she shows up at Grace Episcopal Chapel).  Not a lot of Adams’ buried in Laurel Hill.  These will be fun because Henry A. Adams (wife Charlotte Bennett) is famous.  He was a Commodore who was with Admiral Perry as second in command when he “opened” Japan.  I can’t find a single family file claiming him.  Odd.  Who was he?  He died in Philadelphia.  Might start at findagrave.com good clues there.

Next, Adams and Jellett was store Gerry’s family was in business with in Philadelphia.  Partner named Sophia M. Jellett.  I’m not sure she was married.  Is her father Morgan Jellett from Ireland?  Sophia was born in Ireland.  This is probably our best clue to Gerry’s family right now.

3/27/2012 from Becky to Gerry

Did Rudolph Sidney go by name of Sidney?  I found the following marriage in Mass.  This Caroline can’t be Henry’s mother due to date, but weird we can’t find Rudolph Adams.  She could have been a second wife.  How did your info on this generation occur?  any other clues?  We do need to find Rudolph as an adult.

Sidney Adams

Spouse:  Caroline Ellis

Marriage:  20 Apr 1827 – Brookfield, Worchester, Massachusetts

Home in 1860:  Post Office: West Brookfield West Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts

Sydney Adams Age in 1860: 61 Birth Year: abt 1799 Birthplace: Massachusetts Gender: Male

Household Members: Name Age

Sydney Adams 61

Caroline Adams 55

Nathan E Adams 21

Carrie Adams 10