Clement Adams facts for kids

Clement Adams (born around 1519, died 1587) was an English teacher and writer. He is best known for creating an engraved copy of a famous world map made by the explorer Sebastian Cabot after 1544.

Who Was Clement Adams?

Clement Adams was born in a place called Buckington, in Warwickshire, England, around 1519. He received a great education at two well-known schools: Eton and King's College, Cambridge. He finished his university studies in 1544.

In 1552, he became a teacher for the young friends and companions of King Edward VI. He taught them at the palace in Greenwich. He passed away on January 9, 1587, and was buried in Greenwich.

Adams and the Russia Voyage

One of the first people to write about Clement Adams was Richard Eden, who is sometimes called the "father of English geography." Eden tells us that Adams was a schoolmaster, not an explorer himself.

However, Adams played an important role in recording the first English trips to Russia. He wrote down the story of a journey made by Richard Chancellor. Chancellor was one of the first Englishmen to travel to Russia. Adams wrote this account after Chancellor returned from his first trip in 1554.

His Latin book was titled Nova Anglorum ad Moscovitas navigatio. This means "The New English Voyage to the Muscovites." It described the journey led by Sir Hugh Willoughby and piloted by Richard Chancellor in 1553. This work was first printed by Richard Hakluyt in his famous collection of voyages in 1589.

The Famous Cabot Map

Clement Adams is also important because of his connection to a famous map. The explorer Sebastian Cabot, along with his father John Cabot, made a very important world map. This map showed their discoveries along the coast of 'Newfoundland' (which could be Nova Scotia or the island of Newfoundland) in 1497.

The original map by Cabot is now lost. However, copies were made. We know from Richard Hakluyt, another famous English writer, that Clement Adams made an engraved copy of Cabot's map. This copy was well-known in London during Adams's time. Many merchants had copies of it in their homes.

Hakluyt even mentioned that Adams's copy of the map was displayed in the Queen's private gallery at Westminster. Sadly, no copies of this map engraved by Adams are known to exist today.

Was Adams an Explorer?

Some people might think Clement Adams was an explorer because his name is linked to Richard Chancellor. However, this is not true. We know for sure that Adams did not go with Chancellor on his first trip to Russia in 1553. Records show the names of everyone important who went on that voyage, and Adams's name is not on the list. The only person with a similar role was John Stafford, who was a "minister" (like a chaplain) on one of the ships.

Adams's job was to write down the story of the voyage after Chancellor returned, not to go on the journey himself.