John Adamson (antiquary)

John Adamson (1787 - 1855) was an antiquary and Portuguese scholar from Newcastle upon Tyne.

His early education was at Newcastle Royal Grammar School. In 1807 Adamson went to live with his brother in Lisbon, Portugal. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, and received diplomas of the orders of Christ and the Tower-and-Sword. He fled back to Newcastle when the French invaded.

Adamson was Under Sheriff of Newcastle in 1811. He was founder Newcastle Law Society, and of the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries. For 40 years he was co-secretary of the latter. He was also co-secretary of the Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society.

His time in Lisbon stood him in good stead. In 1820, Longmans published his definitive "Life of Camões". Other publications included Dona Ignez de Castro, a Tragedy (1808), Sonnets from the Portuguese of Luis de Camoens (1810) and The Marriage of the Coquet and the Alwine (1817).

His famous Portuguese Library, the "Bibliotheca Lusitana" was famous among scholars of the Portuguese, but was unfortunately destroyed by fire. Some material from the library collection was published in 1842 (Part 1:Sonnets) and 1846 (Part 2: Minstrelsy) as 'Lusitania Illustrata: Notices on the history, antiquities, literature &c. of Portugal'. Literary department. Printed by M.A Richardson, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Adamson was a close friend of Thomas Dibdin the antiquary and bibliophile.

References

[http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101000144 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]
[http://www.seaham.i12.com/myers/m-adamson.html Myers Literary Guide]
[http://www.sonnets.org/adamson.htm Sonnets.org]