Alfred Adams was born in West Maidstone, Kent, in 1841. Shortly after David Livingstone discovered the Victoria Falls, Alfred traveled to Africa with him. As a part of the “Universities Mission into Central Africa” in the 1860s, Alfred Adams was one of the first men totravel into the Zambezi region in central Africa.
Dr. David Livingston, who was the first person of European descent to witness Victoria Falls, described it as a “mist that roars like thunder,” and his
remarks upon his return to England served as the inspiration for the mission. Alfred left for the mission at the age of 19 and served as its “Agriculturist” to Charles Mackenzie’s Central Africa Mission. Livingston met the group in February 1861 at the mouth of the Zambezi River
and was ready to lead the fresh explorers into the Dark Continent. Livingston assisted them in establishing their first mission, which was located at Magomero on the Shire River’s banks in what is now southern Malawi.
The expedition only lasted three years, and Alfred, the sole original party member to have survived the project’s brief existence, returned to England in 1864. Mackenzie’s successor, Tozer moved the assets to Zanzibar. There seems to be a difference of views and Adams resigned. In the meantime Mackenzie’s sister had a raised funds to found a mission station in Zululand, which paid for Adams passage.
Charles Frederick Mackenzie preaching in Africa, illustration from 1880. Source – Britannica.
Under King Mpande, missionaries were being more and more welcomed in Zululand. The logical choice for Alfred to start a new mission in the region to the north of the burgeoning colony of Natal was made. In 1864, he went on his first mission with Rev. Robertson to Kwamagwaza. Five years later, Alfred wed Selina Wood and, with the approval of Mpande and his eventual heir Cetshwayo, crossed the Tugela. Alfred Adams founded the mission school of St. Andrews in 1875 on the north side of the Tugela.
Alfred married Selina Wood in May 1873; they had met when traveling from England to South Africa on the “Thukela” in 1864; the Wood family was immigrating to Port Natal.
Only three years into their union, Selina passed away, leaving Alfred and CharlesFrederick, then two years old, as their only children. In 1873 King Mpande offered Alfred farmland making him neighbors with the famous “white’ chief John Dunn.
They became friends despite John’s fundamental distaste for missionaries, and John offered Alfred and the Reverend Robert Robertson, who had established the first Anglican mission in Zululand, land to build a mission station and school on.
John wanted his more than fifty school-age children to receive a rigorous European education and a grounding in the manners of Victorian society.
The mission outposts were relocated to Natal during the Anglo-Zulu war, mostly against Adams’ wishes. But soon after the troops were stationed in Eshowe, he received a license in 1881 to supply a new fort called Fort Curtis a little east of the town, and he returned to Zululand, where he opened a store to meet the needs of the troops. Beer didn’t suit the hot and humid climate, apparently ginger ale was such a big hit that Adams set up a mill on the Umlalazi river being the first in Zululand.
Alfred unfortunately passed away evacuating to Gingingdlovu avoiding the Bambata uprising in 1906.
Charles Frederick Adams through his mother Selina Wood (Wood line) is descended from Scottish royalty being 15th great grandson of King Robert II of Scotland. His grandson John Kenneth Adams married a Gillian Moberly, who descends from the Walsh Kings of Gwynedd. Gillian appears to also be descended from the Livingstone’s, making her a cousin a few times removed to the Dr. David Livingstone. However this needs more research.
Selina was one of 9 children, her sisters married and had big families. She seems to have been the more adventurous of her siblings. Most of them settling in Port Natal ( Durban) while she roughed it, in the mostly untouched Zululand area.
In Eshowe we still have stores named after the Adams family, such as Adams Spar, Adams Bottle Store, and Adams outpost and restaurant. Norwood park was named after Adams 2nd wife, Ellen Norwood.
Please click on the below picture to view a simplified version of the Adam’s family tree.
