William Bridges Adams

His father, the son of a yeoman farmer of Woore, moved to London where he worked his way from a journeyman coachbuilder to master tradesman.

This was a well known firm and during his time with the company Napoleon's travelling carriage was brought there, after the battle of Waterloo, and Bridges Adams made a drawing of it.

Following this tragedy Bridges Adams returned to England, with his son, by a long trek over the Andes to Buenos Aires and by ship back to London, via Falmouth, in 1826.

He married Sarah Fuller Flower Adams in 1834 and they resided at the now demolished Sunnybank, Woodbury Hill, in Loughton, where there is a blue plaque to the couple jointly.

Adams died at Cuthbert House, Broadstairs, Kent, aged seventy-five, and was buried at St Peter's Church in the town.

In 1842 the factory moved from its small premises to three acres of land adjoining the Eastern Counties Railway at Fair Field, Bow.

He founded the Fairfield Locomotive Works (51°31′52″N 0°01′19″W / 51.5312°N 0.0219°W / 51.5312; -0.0219)[9] in Bow, East London, in 1843, where he specialized in light engines, steam railcars (or railmotors) and inspection trolleys.

The unconventional arrangement was initially deemed a success on the tight curves of the St Helens line, but after two years it was decided that the combination allowed too much oscillation and was replaced.

The engineering business failed some years later, although by this time Adams had expanded his interests to include clothing design and journalism.