William Adair

For the Cherokee leader in the American Civil War, see William Penn Adair.
For the U.S. labor law case, see Adair v. United States.

Sir William Adair
Adair c.1910
Born(1850-06-21)21 June 1850
Gosport, Hampshire
Died29 December 1931(1931-12-29) (aged 81)[1]
Kensington, London
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch Royal Marines
Years of service1867–c.1911
RankGeneral
Battles / warsSecond Boer War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
RelationsGeneral Sir Charles Adair (father)
Admiral Charles Henry Adair (brother)

General Sir William Thompson Adair KCB (21 June 1850 – 29 December 1931) was a Royal Marines officer and Ulster Unionist.[2][3]

Biography

Adair was born into a distinguished military family, the son of Sir Charles Adair and Isabella Aslett, daughter of Col. Thompson Aslett of the Royal Marines. His three brothers were Sir Charles Henry Adair, Rear-Admiral T. B. S. Adair, and Brig.-Gen. Hugh Robert Adair.[2]

Educated at Cheltenham College, he entered the Royal Marine Light Infantry as a lieutenant on 6 December 1867, and was promoted to captain on 1 July 1881. He received the brevet rank of major on 6 December 1888, the substantive rank of major on 3 May 1889, the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel on 6 December 1895, and the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel on 7 February 1896. In early February 1900 he embarked the SS Canada leaving Southampton for South Africa, where he was to serve in the Second Boer War.[4] He received the brevet rank of colonel on 7 February 1900,[5] and was appointed Assistant Adjutant General on 1 November 1900. Following his return to the United Kingdom, he was promoted colonel second commandant of the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 30 January 1902.[6] He became Deputy Adjutant-General Royal Marines (the professional head of the Royal Marines) June 1907 before retiring in June 1911.[3]

Adair played a prominent role in the Ulster Unionist Party and was commander of the Antrim Ulster Volunteer Force. In 1914, he took charge of the landing and dispersal of guns during the Larne gun-running.[3]

Personal life

In 1880, he married Rose Naylor. She died in 1903. In 1905, at age 60, he married English-Argentine Angela Eliza Plowes, age 55. Her father, Frederick Plowes, was a first cousin of Ann Walker, wife of diarist Anne Lister. He died in 1931 in Kensington, and his widow died two years later.[2][7]

References

  1. ^ Dod's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, of Great Britain and Ireland. S. Low, Marston & Company. 1912. p. 82. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Obituary: Gen. Sir. W. T. Adair. A Veteran of the Royal Marines". The Times. 31 December 1931. p. 12.
  3. ^ a b c DJ Hickey & JE Doherty (2003). A New Dictionary of Irish History from 1800. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin. p. 4.
  4. ^ "The War – Embarcation of Troops". The Times. No. 36057. London. 5 February 1900. p. 10.
  5. ^ "No. 27165". The London Gazette. 16 February 1900. p. 1078.
  6. ^ "No. 27402". The London Gazette. 31 January 1902. p. 647.
  7. ^ Walker, Martin (2 May 2022). "Ann's Aunts, Uncles and Cousins". In Search of Ann Walker. Retrieved 3 May 2024.

Sources

  • D.J. Hickey & J.E. Doherty. A Dictionary of Irish History. Gill & MacMillan. Ireland 1980. p3 ISBN 0-7171-1567-4
Military offices
Preceded by Deputy Adjutant-General Royal Marines
1907–1911 		Succeeded by