Henry Adams
Henry Adams was born about 1531 at Barton St David in Somerset and lived there all his life. He said so himself. On 25 May 1586 he gave evidence in the bishop's Consistory Court, in a case called Cheverell against Ludwell. The clerk wrote his description in Latin: "Henricus Addams poch' de Barton David ... Agricola, ubi moram fecit a na[tivitate] sue, ibm oriundus, etat[i]s lv annor' aut circiter". That is, Henry Addams of the parish of Barton David, husbandman, who had lived there since his birth, born there, aged fifty-five years or thereabouts. He signed his evidence with a mark.
He was then the tithingman of the parish, and he had served a warrant on William Roach in the churchyard after the service. A tithingman was the elected officer of a tithing, a small unit of the parish, and acted as its petty constable.
In 1574 he stood surety for the marriage licence of John Bevell of Baltonsborough.
He died without a will before 12 August 1596. On that day the court granted administration "bonoru[m] ... Henrici Addams abintest defuncti Johann[i] Addams eius filio naturali et l[egi]timo", of the goods of Henry Addams, deceased intestate, to John Addams his natural and lawful son. His goods were valued at £22 2s. The sureties were Henry Lucas of Barton David and John Talbot of King Weston. His creditors were summoned on 8 January 1596/7.
His wife is not known. Bartlett thought she was perhaps the Rose Adams buried at Barton St David on 20 September 1598. He also made Henry a son of John Adams of Barton, an able billman in the muster of 1539, because the only other Adams in the parish, Robert, died childless in 1557. A billman was a foot soldier armed with a bill, a long-handled blade. No record names Henry's father.
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Cite: Heirology, "Henry Adams (b. 1531)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/henry-adams-1531-e028b9.