His father was Marlborough's first Superintendent, the first Commissioner of Crown Lands, and afterwards member of the House of Representatives for Picton.

He left for England in 1867 to study law at the Inner Temple, London, and returned to Nelson in 1869 to become a junior partner in the firm.

He successfully ran against Colonel Pitt for election to the House of Representatives in the Nelson electorate in an 1879 by-election as a supporter of Sir John Hall.

[8] When the Grey Government was defeated in a confidence motion Adams was again elected as a supporter of the Hall Ministry.

In 1881 Adams fell seriously ill and as his medical advisors considered he may not recover he resigned from Parliament.

[10] In 1872, as treasurer of the Nelson and West Coast Railway League, he proposed constructing the line by means of land grants.

About 1890 the Amuri was invaded by rabbits from Kaikōura and Blenheim in such numbers as to practically ruin the back country runs.

Fighting the rabbits and the consequent financial depression compelled him to devote most of his time to farming matters and practically to retire from the law.

Adams died in London at 74 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge on 24 January 1924 after what was described as a long and tedious illness that had resulted from an operation he had had in 1920.