Henry and all his known ancestors were Yeomen famers from Barton St. David, Somersetshire, England. Henry was also a maltster.[ [624]]

A 1693 bible that likely belonged to a child of his daughter Ursula lists his birth as 21 Jan 1583. The data in the bible, except for easily explainable typo errors, comports where possible with available vital records. The data also compares with the common estimate of 1583, based on Henry’s service as executor of his father’s will in 1604.

Henry married at Charlton Mackrell, a neighboring parish to Barton St. David. (He did not, as is sometimes said, marry “Charlotte Mackrell”.) His wife Edith Squire was the daughter of the blacksmith Henry Squire. Henry shows up as co-executor of his brother John's will in 1609, the same year he signed his marriage bond in 1609. His son Thomas was baptized in Barton St. David in 1612. Then between 1614 and 1622 he moved to the ajoining parish of Kingweston where his youngest children were baptized. His last child Edward was baptized there in 1629.

Henry was probably influenced by Edith’s sister Ann Purchase to come to New England, since the local ministers were not Puritans. The year of his removal is fixed by a deposition in 1656 by his son, John ADAMS, who stated that he had known a certain field in Cambridge (MA) since 1638. The earliest record of Henry in New England was 24 Feb 1639/40, when he was granted 40 acres of Braintree (now Quincy), for a family of ten heads; himself, wife Edith, sons; Henry, Thomas, Samuel, Peter, John, Joseph and Edward, and dau Urusla. His son Jonathan remained in England a dozen years longer.

Henry's widow Edith (SQUIRE) ADAMS married 2) John FUSSELL of Weymouth, Norfolk, MA where he bought the house of Richard SYLVESTER (1640) of the "Mary and John" of 1630. John FUSSELL born abt 1577) was burned in this house by Indians abt 1676. He may have come from county Somersetshire, England whre the name flourished and been acquainted the ADAMS'es and
SQUIRE'es. They had a child, Mary FUSSELL, who married Nathaniel ADAMS in 1677. (History of Weymouth, 3:245). Thre is another ADAMS memorial in the Stair Hall in New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston:

"A memorial to HENRY ADAMS founder of Braintree the ancestor of two presidents also to his sixth son JOHN ADAMS baptized at Kingweston England 4 Dec. 1622 settled at Menotomy Cambridge where he died 1706 created by their descendant Edward Dean Adams 1924."
Children of Henry 1) & Edith 1) (SQUIRE) ADAMS: Henry , Thomas, Jonathan, Samuel, Ursula, Peter, John, Joseph, Edward ADAMS MARY AND JOHN 1630 vol 17 p5-6 [544];

Anc of Adams Prez: (Anc of Amer Prez, Boyle):
.............. 3 Joseph Adams 1625/26 - 1694
.................... +Abigail Baxter 1634 - 1692
...................... 4 Joseph Adams 1654 - 1736/37
............................ +Hanna Bass Unknown -
.............................. 5 John (Dea.) Adams 1690/91 - 1761
.................................... +Susanna Boyslan 1708/09 - 1797
...................................... 6 John (Pres.) Adams 1735 - 1826
............................................ +Abigail Smith 1744 - 1818
............................................... 7 John Quincy (Pres.) Adams 1767 - 1848

Henry Adams was known popularly as The Founder of New England, probably because of the extraordinary number (89) of his grandchildren.[ [624]]

Gravestone in his memory erected by Pres. Adams in Hancock Cemetery in Braintree. Henry is likely buried there, as it was the old burying ground for Briantree, but had no stone originally. His son Joseph, grandson Joseph, Joseph’s son Pres. John, and Pres. John Q. are also buried in the family plot.