Adam was born on the 26th of September 1802 (over 200 years before I am typing this !) at Brandon White House, not far from Alnwick in Northumberland. His parents were Thomas Howey and his wife Catherine (nee Dunn).

He was baptised on the 24th October 1802 at the parish church in Eglingham and his baptism record in the parish register says he was:
The sixth son and tenth child of Thomas Howey of Brandon White House, husbandman, native of Elford Parish, Bamburgh - by Catherine his wife, late Dunn, native of Rennington

I haven't yet been able to find a marriage record, but sometime around 1835, Adam marrried Sarah Watson.

The 1841 census recorded Adam and Sarah at Clennell, in the parish of Alwinton. Clennell Street was one of the great droveways over the Cheviots between England and Scotland. Adam was working as an agricultural labourer. He and Sarah had three children recorded on the census. James aged 5, 'Charlot' (who I believe was actually Esther) aged 3 and Thomas (who was to become the Great Grandfather of Bill Richardson) was just seven months old.

By the time of the 1851 census, Adam was 48, still working as an agricultural labourer and as was the way of work like that he and the family had moved to another farm. This time they were at Silverside Farm in Snitter, near Rothbury in Northumberland. Their eldest child James was not on the census in the family home as he was living and working at another farm in Cartington. Esther was 12 and Thomas was 10. The family had grown with the addition of John aged 8 and Jane aged 5, all the children were listed as scholars.

On the 1861 census Adam was 58 and Sarah was 52. They had moved yet again and Adam was working as a Farm Servant at Shawdon Woodhouse, near Alnwick and the family lived in a farm cottage. The children had grown up, Esther was 22 and earning her living as a dressmaker, Thomas was 20 , John was 18 and Jane was 15, they were all working on the farm like their Dad. The family in the next cottage were the Turnbulls and young Thomas had his eye on their daughter Georgiana, they were soon to be married.

Adam's wife Sarah, died in the first quarter of 1871, just before the census was taken.

On the 1871 census, Adam was listed as a widower aged 68, he was still recorded as working as a labourer but was now living in Glanton. His daughter Esther lived with him, she was 32, not married and still working as a dressmaker. They had visitors at the time of the census, Adam's daughter in law Eleanor (John's wife) and his grandaughter, Annie Mary. I checked and John was at their home in Tynemouth and he too had listed Eleanor and Annie Mary so they were counted twice!

Sadness again for Adam when his daughter Esther died in 1873, aged 34.

The 1881 census showed that after his daughter Esther died, Adam went to live with his other daughter Jane her husband Thomas Rochester and their children. Adam was recorded in their family home at Bolton, in the parish of Edlingham near Alnwick, he was 78 and had finally retired as he was listed as 'formerly, agricultural labourer'

Adam died on the 15th April 1888, he was 85 years old. His death was registered by his daughter Jane.

He was buried in the churchyard of Whittingham St Bartholmew on 17th April 1888.