John Quincy Adams

portrait of John Quincy Adams, by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1858

Date of Birth: July 11, 1767

Place of Birth: Braintree, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.)

Date of Death: February 23, 1848

Place of Death: Washington, D.C., U.S.

Ethnicity: English, as well as distant Scottish

John Quincy Adams was an American statesman. As a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he served as the sixth President of the United States, from March 4, 1825 to March 4, 1829. He was elected to the position in 1824.

He was the Democratic-Republican Party’s nominee for re-election as President of the United States in 1828. While he was not a candidate, he received an electoral vote for President from a faithless elector in the 1820 presidential election.

President Adams was the son of President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Quincy (Smith) Adams. He was married to English-born, Louisa Catherine (Johnson) Adams, with whom he had four children.

President Adams was also the U.S. Minister to the Netherlands, from November 6, 1794 to June 20, 1797, the U.S. Minister to Prussia, from December 5, 1797 to May 5, 1801, a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, from March 4, 1803 to June 8, 1808, the U.S. Minister to Russia, from November 5, 1809 to April 28, 1814, the U.S. Minister to the Court of St. James’s, from April 28, 1814 to September 22, 1817, the U.S. Secretary of State, from September 22, 1817 to March 4, 1825, and a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, from March 4, 1831 to February 23, 1848.

President Adams and his father were the first father-and-son U.S. president duo. The second pair consists of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. There was also a pair of U.S. Presidents who were grandfather-and-grandson, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison.

President Adams was a first cousin of William Cranch, through their mothers, who was Chief Judge of the U.S. Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, from February 24, 1806 to September 1, 1855. William was an ancestor of poet, essayist, and publisher T. S. Eliot, making President Adams and T. S. first cousins, three times removed.

President Adams’ paternal grandfather was John Adams (the son of Joseph Adams, Jr. and Hannah Bass). President Adams’ grandfather John was born in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, of English, and one eighth Scottish, descent. President Adams’ great-grandfather Joseph was the son of Joseph Adams and Abigail Baxter. President Adams’ great-great-grandfather Joseph was born in Kingweston, Somerset, England, the son of Henry Adams and Edith Squire. Abigail was born in Roxbury, now Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, the daughter of English-born parents, Gregory Baxter, whose own parents were Scottish, and Margaret. President Adams’ great-grandmother Hannah Bass was the daughter of John Bass and Ruth Alden; John was born in Saffron Waldon, Essex, England, the son of Samuel Bass and Anne Savell/Saville. President Adams’ great-great-grandmother Ruth was born in Massachusetts, the daughter of English parents, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, who were Mayflower passengers.

President Adams’ paternal grandmother was Susannah/Susanna Boylston (the daughter of Peter Boylston and Ann/Anne White). Susannah was born in Brookline, Norfolk, Massachusetts, of English ancestry. Peter was the son of Thomas Boylston, Jr. and Mary Gardner. Ann was the daughter of Benjamin White and Susanna/Susannah Cogswell.

President Adams’ maternal grandfather was William Smith, Jr. (the son of William Smith and Abigail Fowle). President Adams’ grandfather William was born in Charlestown, now Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. President Adams’ great-grandfather William was the son of Thomas Smith, who was born in Dartmouth, Devon, England, and of Sarah Boylston, who was born in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, to English parents, with her father having been from St. Dionis, Backchurch, London. President Adams’ great-grandmother Abigail was the daughter of Isaac Fowle and Beriah Bright, who were born in Massachusetts, both of them to English parents.

President Adams’ maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Quincy (the daughter of John Quincy and Elizabeth Norton). President Adams’ grandmother Elizabeth was born in Massachusetts, of English descent. President Adams was named after his great-grandfather, John Quincy. John was Colonel of the Suffolk Regiment, and Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The City of Quincy, MA is named after him. He was the son of Daniel Quincy, whose parents were English, and of Anna Shepard, whose father was English, from London. President Adams’ great-grandmother Elizabeth was the daughter of John Norton and Mary Mason, whose own parents were Arthur Mason and Joanna Parker. Joanna Parker was born, c. 1635, in Massachusetts, to Nicholas Parker and Anne.

Sources: Genealogies of President Adams – http://famouskin.com
https://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com