John Adam (architect)
John Adam (5 March 1721 – 25 June 1792) was a Scottish architect, building contractor and supervisor. Life Born in Linktown of Abbotshall, now part of Kirkcaldy, Fife, he was the eldest son of architect and entrepreneur William Adam and his wife Mary Robertson (1698–1761). His younger brothers Robert and James Adam also became architects. The Adam family moved to Edinburgh in 1728, as William Adam's career as a designer of country houses began to take off. John attended Dalkeith Grammar School, outside the city, although he did not proceed to university as he was already being involved in the family businesses. However, the family home became a hub of the Scottish Enlightenment, with numerous Edinburgh virtuosi visiting. It is believed his father allowed him to do some work on Montrose Mausoleum in Aberuthven, Perthshire, in 1736, for his name is in an inscription in the northern wall. During the 1740s, William was gradually handing over control to his eldest son. Upon William's death in June 1748, John took over the family businesses, which besides designing and building houses, included interests in quarrying, mining and other industries. Additionally, John inherited his father's position as Master Mason to the Board of