Mother - Adah Emily Sherwood

Most of the letters in this collection were written by Athol Gladwyn Adams and sent home to his mother in Australia.

Nearly all the envelopes are addressed to his mother in 1914-1917 when she was known as Mrs Guy Sherwood. This is her story.

A.G. Adams’ mother was born Adah Emily Parker. Adah was raised in Geelong and later in Melbourne along with her brother, Ernest, sister Florence and half-sister, Marion (known as May).

There were five other children who died in infancy or as small children (Mary, Thomas, Frank, Alfred and John).

Adah was educated in Melbourne, London and Germany. She was an accomplished linguist, pianist and singer. She was a friend of Dame Nellie Melba. This postcard was sent to Adah by Dame Nellie.

With many thanks to Mrs A.P. Clapham for sharing this item.

Adah traveled extensively and you will note that many of the envelopes, although addressed to her in Melbourne, were forwarded to various addresses around the world.

Adah's horse and carriage.

Adah Emily Parker, aged 22, married Alexander James Adams (then working in Sydney) on Saturday 4 February 1888, at Christ Church, South Yarra, Melbourne. Before marrying, the bride was living with her parents at the Parker family home known as 'Almeida', 209 Toorak Road, South Yarra, Melbourne. For more on this property see: http://notmentionedindispatches.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/almeida-south-yarra.html

Adah Emily Parker on her wedding day February, 1888.

The couple had four sons: Arthur, Clifford, Harold and Athol. A.G. Adams was the youngest. However, the marriage was relatively brief. Tragically, Alexander died young and Adah Emilie Adams was widowed in 1894, aged 28, with the youngest son, A.G. Adams, not quite born. It is understood that she raised the four boys (then about 0, 2, 4, and 6 years old) with the help of her two sisters, Florence and May. Neither of these two aunts went on to have children of their own. The boys were very fond of these ladies.

Alexander James Adams

In 1900, the widow Adah Emilie Adams married an architect based in Melbourne, Mr Guy Sherwood. They had no children. Most of the letters sent by Athol during WW1 were addressed to his mother as Mrs Guy Sherwood (note the postcard above from Dame Nellie Melba).

Adah's father was a successful business man in Melbourne. He was a co-founder of the coastal shipping and coal mining company Huddart Parker Limited. Adah tried, unsuccessfully, to become a director on the board of Huddart Parker after her father and brother died (1900 and 1898 respectively). Instead of pursuing these business interests her time was taken up with family, travelling and charitable causes.

She took a keen interested in the Collingwood Creche, the Melbourne District Nursing Society and the City Newsboys' Society. Adah helped to establish the Anzac Buffet on St Kilda Road during war time.

Adah continued to send monthly packages of 'comforts' to Athol's unit well after he was killed. In May 1918 Harold Burke was Captain of 'D' company, 5th Battalion. This was the unit in which Athol served at the beginning of his service. Harold Burke was a fellow Old Melbourne Grammar boy. It is recorded that 'he had the privilege of distributing the splendid cases of comforts so generously supplied every month to D Company by Mrs Guy Sherwood in memory of her son, Athol Adams, killed in 1917. 

Throughout her life Adah was troubled with asthma and bronchitis. She died rather suddenly at sea between Singapore and Melbourne on Sunday 6 January 1924, aged 58.

Adah Emily Sherwood - the small photo taken to the front by her son, Athol Gladwyn Adams.

Three of her four sons predeceased her.

Clifford died as a 19-year-old not long after leaving school. It is believed he suffered from TB. Her youngest son, Athol, died aged 22 in 1917 in Egypt as a result of a flying accident during WW1. The third son, Harold, died on the Western Front in May 1917 three months after his brother Athol died. Harold was aged 24. Losing two sons within three months was overwhelming and it is said that Adah smashed every piece of her collection of German Meissen porcelain (including an entire dinner service) after receiving the telegram informing her of Harold's status as 'missing in action'. It as later found that he was killed in the act of surrendering.

Arthur Parker Adams, the eldest, was the only son to survive his mother. Arthur was not able to enlist as he had sustained a bad leg injury in a horse riding accident before the outbreak of war. He was a farmer. Arthur had three children and two of these were named after the boys who died in 1917. The names Athol and Harold continue to be carried by family members of subsequent generations.

Lest we forget.