Henry Adamson Biography

Henry Adamson (1581–1639) was a Scottish poet and historian.

Henry was the son of James Adamson, Dean of guild in Perth. He was trained for the church,but became a schoolmaster in his home city.

His friend William Drummond induced him to publish his most famous poem:Muses Threnodie: of Mirthful Mournings on the death of Mr Gall, (Edinburgh, 1638 — see 1638 in poetry). The poem is an important document in that gives a general account of Perth in the seventeenth century. He is credited with first using the word curling in 1620. He related that his friend, Mr Gall, "a citizen of Perth, and a gentle-man of goodly stature, and pregnant wit, much given to pastime, as golf, archerie, curling and jovial companie." It also records the playing of Golf on the South Inch:

And ye, my clubs must no more prepare

To make your balls flee whistling through the air

It is also particularly noted for its connection of rosicrucianism, freemasonry and second sight. Referring to the rebuilding of a bridge over the River Tay, swept away in 1621, Adamson wrote:

Thus Mr Gall assured it would be so

And my good genius doth surely know:

For what we do presage is not in grosse

For we be brethren of the Rosie Crosse;

We have the Mason word, and second sight,

Things for to come we can foretell aright.