He is the son of Mr. Nathaniel Adlam,a farmer and was educated in his native place. After having been two years in Cardiff ironworks,he joined the forty-third regiment,and went with it to India. In 1863 he came to New Zealand by the ship 'Lady Jocelyn' and early the following year after the regiment moved to New Plymouth in November,1864. Mr Adlam was slightly wounded at Warea. In March,1866 when the regiment was ordered home, Mr.Adlam purchased his discharge and was employed by the late Mr George Curtis. Shortly afterwards he Leased a farm adjoining his present property of 400 acres,of which the greater part is freehold.He has his own creamery and butter factory and produces about 300lb of butter per week from sixty cows.At Pungarehu Mr. Adlam has his own store from which he supplied the Armed Constabulary and settlers from the surrounding district and brought butter and shipped it to Sydney and Melbourne. For eleven years he was on the Taranaki Education Board,for nine years and a member of the County Council,for seven years,Chairman of the local School Committee,and for several years he has been a member of the Taranaki Charitable Aid Board. Mr Adlam holds the New Zealand War medal. In 1895 he was made a J.P. In 1869 he married the daughter of Mr.John Sefton of Ulster,Ireland and has surviving out of seventeen children,eight sons and five daughters.