William James Adamson (1896 - 1956)

Born 12 Jun 1896 in Travis, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Died 29 Jan 1956 at age 59 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

James Adamson is Notable.

James Adamson was a Hollywood actor who worked steadily in film and television from 1933 through the 1960s, although much of his work was uncredited.

William James Adamson, son of William Henry Adamson and Mathilde (Bennett) Adamson, was born on 12 June 1896^[1] in Travis, Texas, USA. He gave his birthplace as Toledo, Ohio in his World War I draft registration^[1] and apparently to the Screen Actors Guild,^[2] but on the 1900 and 1910 censuses his birthplace is given as Texas. He may have been named Henry William Adamson at birth (no birth record has yet been found, only early census records), but by 1918 he was going by William J. Adamson,^[1] and his stage name became simply James Adamson.^[2]

His known siblings were:

1. Minnie (Adamson) Garner (1882 - 1964)
2. Mamie (Adamson) Thompson (~1883 - 1956)
3. Theodore Adamson (1886 - 1953)
4. Maggie D. (Adamson) Polk (1887 - >1957)
5. Harrison Adamson (~1888 - )
6. Jesse Adamson (~1891 - )
7. Chlora Ama (Adamson) Jones (1894 - 1998)
8. Benjamin Adamson (1898 - 1957)
9. Ruth (Adamson) Young (1901 - )

His family had lived in Texas since at least the early 1880s, and all of the children were born there. They were enumerated twice in the 1900 Census for Travis County, Texas. One version gives his name as "Henry W.," the other as "William." As Henry W., he was age 3, and born in Texas.^[3] In the other 1900 enumeration, he was "William" Adamson, age 4, and born in Texas. ^[4] Sometime after 1901, the family had joined the great African-American migration and moved to Los Angeles, living on Violet Street in 1910 when the census was taken. By then, "William" was age 14. His father, also William, was working as a house painter.^[5] At some point in his teens after coming to California, he was an inmate for 14 months at the Preston State School of Industry in Ione, California, which was a military-style juvenile correctional school in Amador County. He mentions this school as "military service" in his 1918 World War I draft registration, and he signed "William J. Adamson" with a flourish.^[1] The family has not been found in the 1920 Census, but in 1930, William J. Adamson was rooming on E. 45th St. in Los Angeles; he was single, and age 31; the respondent gave the census-taker the birthplace of James and his parents as California, and said he was an actor in movies.^[6]

No information has yet been found about his marriage, and it is not yet known whether he had children.

According to his sister Mamie, William was a widower when he died of a heart attack on 29 January 1956 in Los Angeles, California, aged 59. He was buried on February 4, 1956 in Lincoln Memorial Park, Carson, California.^[7][8]

Television and Film Career

• Played "Native Child" in the classic film, King Kong (1933), but he was uncredited in the role.
• Lone Cowboy (1933)
• Fugitive Lady (1934)
• The Captain Hits The Ceiling (1935)
• White Hunter (1936)
• Kentucky (1938)
• Jungle Siren (1942)
• Man From Oklahoma (1945)
• A Letter To Three Wives (1949)
• Rope Of Sand (1949)
• I Want You (1951)
• African Treasure (1952)
• The Mississippi Gambler (1953)
• Tonight We Sing (1953)
• Affair With A Stranger (1953)
• The Golden Idol (1955)
• Lord Of The Jungle (1955)
• Untamed Mistress (1956)
• On television in: Death Valley Days; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; Ramar of the Jungle; Four Star Playhouse; The Ray Milland Show; and he played a bill collector, a carpenter, and a police detective in the television series, The Amos 'n' Andy Show, from 1951 to 1953.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZVJ-FK1 : 23 February 2021), William J Adamson, 1917-1918.

   He was single and still 21 when he registered for the World War I draft in 1918. He gave his birthplace as Toledo, Ohio, and his address as 1233 E. 34th Street in Los Angeles, California. His occupation was laborer for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Previous military rank was "Private-High school, 14 months, Preston State School, California." He gave as contact person his sister, Mrs. Mamie Thompson, same address. He said his father was born in England. He was described as tall and stout, with black eyes and black hair.

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} James Adamson Biography, IMDB.com
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M35G-JXW : accessed 1 July 2021), Henry W Adamson in household of William H Adamson, Justice Precinct 1-2, Travis, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 109, sheet 13B, family 215, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,673.

   -William H Adamson, M, age 49, b. South Carolina

   -Tilda Adamson, F, age 46, b. Texas

   -Minnie Adamson, F, age 18, b. Texas

   -Mamie Adamson, F, age 17, b. Texas

   -Theodore Adamson, M, age 14, b. Texas

   -Maggie Adamson, F, age 13, b. Texas

   -Hyson Adamson, M, age 11, b. Texas

   -Jessie Adamson, M, age 9, b. Texas

   -Chlora Adamson, F, age 6, b. Texas

   -Henry W. Adamson, M, age 4, b. Texas

   -Benjamin Adamson, M, age 2, b. Texas

4. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M35P-XF1 : accessed 1 July 2021), William Adamson in household of Will H Adamson, Justice Precinct 1-2, Travis, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 109, sheet 6B, family 98, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,673.

   -Will H. Adamson, M, age 48, b. South Carolina

   -Matilda Adamson, F, age 45, b. Texas

   -Minnie Adamson, F, age 18, b. Texas

   -Mamie Adamson, F, age 16, b. Texas

   -Theodore Adamson, M, age 14, b. Texas

   -D. Maggie Adamson, F, age 13, b. Texas

   -Harrison Adamson, M, age 12, b. Texas

   -Jesse Adamson, M, age 10, b. Texas

   -Ama C. Adamson, F, age 7, b. Texas

   -William Adamson, M, age 4, b. Texas

   -Ben Adamson age 3 b Texas.

5. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV2T-MBL : accessed 1 July 2021), William H Adamson, Los Angeles Assembly District 71, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 130, sheet 5A, family 105, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 81; FHL microfilm 1,374,094.

   -William H. Adamson, M, age 55, b. SC

   -Matilda Adamson, F, age 53, b. TX

   -Chlora Adamson, F, age 16, b. TX

   -William Adamson, M, age 14, b. TX

   -Benjamin Adamson, M, age 12, b. TX

   -Ruth Adamson, F, age 9, b. TX

6. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCVN-8ZQ : accessed 1 July 2021), William J Adamson in household of Alva King, Los Angeles (Districts 0251-0500), Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 312, sheet 28A, line 3, family 86, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 144; FHL microfilm 2,339,879.
7. ↑ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7F-PDWD : 1 March 2021), James Or William William Or James Adamson, 1956.

   The death certificate gives his birth date as June 12, 1896 in California. His occupation was actor in motion pictures. His parents were William H. Adamson, b. North Carolina, and Matilda Bennett, b. Texas. He was widowed. He was a World War I veteran. Cause of death was acute myocardial infarction. Place of death was Los Angeles County General Hospital. He was buried at Lincoln Memorial Park. His sister, Mamie Thompson, was the informant.

8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194430572/james-adamson: accessed 23 June 2022), memorial page for James Adamson (12 Jun 1896–29 Jan 1956), Find A Grave: Memorial #194430572, citing Lincoln Memorial Park, Carson, Los Angeles County, California, USA; Maintained by Kris 'Peterborough K' Peterson (contributor 46537737)