David Beveridge Adamson

David Beveridge Adamson (1823 – 23 June 1891) was a farm implement manufacturer and inventor in Adelaide, South Australia.

History Adamson was born at Scaw Mill, Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland, one of seven children of wheelwright James Adamson (c. 1790 – 14 August 1864) and Elizabeth May Adamson, née Beveridge (17 September 1795 – 29 March 1870), who arrived in South Australia in September 1839 aboard Recovery from London. Their father founded a workshop and farm equipment factory on Hanson Street, Adelaide. Eventually the workshops, associated buildings and several houses occupied much of Town Acres 417 and 444 between Hanson Street and Bews Street. Their principal products were wheat harvesters and strippers based on John Ridley's patent, and with a reputation for trouble-free operation prospered, and became Adamson Brothers around 1855. They opened branches at Kapunda in 1859 Auburn in 1865 and Laura (where they had 30–40 employees) in 1874.

Adamson had attended school at Dunfermline, Scotland, but having an insatiable thirst for knowledge was largely self-educated. Around 1882 the brothers were able to retire from business, and Adamson was able to devote his inventive mind and energies to his passion for science and invention. Among his creations were: Various pieces of furniture A harmonium A violin, claimed in 1876 to have been (in 1841) the first made in the colony

He used the telescope to good effect during the partial eclipse of the Sun on 12 December 1890. He experimented for a few days prior to the event to get the clearest picture without frying the emulsion on the glass slide, and found he got excellent results by reducing the aperture of the telescope considerably and removing the silver coating from the speculum (curved mirror) so only a small percentage of the sun's rays was reflected from the glass surface.

Other interests He was, as were his brothers, a strong supporter of the Church, a founding member of Chalmers Church and Stow Memorial Church

He was a prominent supporter of the Young Men's Christian Association, the Chamber of Manufactures and the Destitute Board.

Last days and death In his last years, Adamson suffered from asthma, for which he was treated by Dr Way, and died following a stroke or from rheumatic heart disease. Charles Francis Adamson (19 October 1866 – 26 September 1938) married Mary Dorothea Sarah Ellen Krischock (1868–1942) on 30 November 1897 William Steele Adamson (26 February 1868 – 11 December 1932) married Elizabeth Caroline Sabine (1870–1959) on 28 January 1902 died in Parkside, South Australia Lilian Adamson (13 October 1870 – 18 June 1943) married William Penry Jones (c. 1853–1939) on 28 August 1895 Albert Stanley Adamson (26 August 1872 – 26 June 1939) married Emily Edith Arbon (1869–1952) on 26 August 1898 Margaret Thomson Adamson (20 December 1873 – 5 August 1937) married Percival Harold Price (1879–1958) on 29 October 1901 Florence May Adamson (22 June 1876 – 8 April 1949) married Richard Alexander Duncan (1871–1954) on 7 December 1899 He married again, on 7 December 1882 to Mary Humphris (1856–1913). They had no further children.

See also James Hazel Adamson for more on his brothers.