He was educated at the School of Art and Science at Newcastle's
Armstrong College. He took up a career as an engineer with the local shipping company of D. Adams and Company and the Anglo-Scottish Trading Company. He was elected to
Newcastle City Council in 1902, and held the office of
Sheriff from 1922 to 1923 and
Lord Mayor from 1930 to 1931. At the
1918 general election, he was an unsuccessful candidate in the new
Newcastle upon Tyne West constituency, losing to the
Liberal Party cabinet minister
Edward Shortt. Shortt stood down at the
1922 general election, and Adams won the seat with a majority of only 156 over the
National Liberal candidate
Cecil Ramage. At the
1923 general election, Ramage took the seat from Adams with a majority of over 3,500. Adams unsuccessfully contested
City of York at the
1924 general election and
Barrow-in-Furness at the
1931 contest. He returned to the
House of Commons following the
1935 general election as the MP for
Consett, County Durham, gaining a majority of 7,522 over the
National Liberals. Following his death, Adams was succeeded by
James Glanville in the
1943 Consett by-election. ==Personal life==