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Adam Grey is the second son of Minerva and Harold Grey, Duke of Pardloe, and nephew of Lord John Grey.

Personal History[]

Adam was born to Hal and Minnie Grey, Duke and Duchess of Pardloe. He grew up in London with his two brothers, Benjamin and Henry, and his younger sister Dottie.

Lord John Series[]

While Lord John Grey escorts Percy Wainwright to visit Minnie for dance lessons, he mentions that a dance instructor is in the employ of the family for his nephews; Benjamin, Adam, and Henry.

Adam attends his grandmother Benedicta's wedding to Sir George Stanley – the same day his cousin Cromwell Stubbs is born.

Adam, alongside his brothers, attends the christening of their new baby sister Dorothea Grey at St James's Church. Famished following the christening, he and his brothers demand something to eat from their father.

Adam and his brothers are mentioned in a letter from Harold Grey that Lord John Grey receives while he is in Canada. Hal conveys his sons' firm belief that no "Red Indian" would succeed in taking his scalp, and recommends bringing home three "tommyhawks" for the boys.

Unbeknownst to Adam, his uncle John was casually observing from the house as he and his brothers Benjamin and Henry played a game of tigers and hunters. His toddler sister Dottie was occupied with the nurse at the goldfish pond, the nurse giving a mere eye roll to his and his brother's antics as they cursed during their game. Despite his mother's insistence that his father and uncle not curse in English around them, they still picked up the words.

Following John's duel with Edward Twelvetrees, Adam and his brothers descend upon him while he is recovering at Argus House. All three want to see their uncle's injuries and hear the gory details about the duel from John himself. They bestow awed admiration on the impressive wound, a six inch gash across the left side of their uncle's upper chest. They ask if it hurts, and John replies that his leg wound is a greater source of discomfort. They are instantly eager to see it, and in their rush they nearly pitch him off his bed. Adam makes an observation about their uncle's private area and the brothers all giggle at their uncle's reply.

Over shared milk and bread, the three brothers update their uncle on the happenings of the house: Nasonby injured his ankle, Cook had a disagreement with the fishmonger, their spaniel Lucy had her puppies, and Mrs. Weston had a fit. As Adam and Henry snuggle next to their uncle, John requests that Ben provide entertainment. Benjamin's rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is interrupted by the arrival of their mother, who hurries them out of the room.

Outlander Series[]

An Echo in the Bone[]

In September 1776, Adam is posted to New York under Sir Henry Clinton. He meets there his step-cousin William and the two go out in the evening in search of bedtime companions. They witness a British lieutenant throwing hot oil on a prostitute that he found poxed, and her entire body is engulfed in flames.

Personality[]

Adam has a very dry sense of humor, and the Grey family talent of saying outlandish things with a straight face.[3] According to Hal, Adam has his mother's temperament.[4]

Physical Appearance[]

Adam is shorter than his cousin William.[5]

Name[]

  • Adam is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם (adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy color of human skin, or from Akkadian adamu meaning "to make".[6]
  • Grey has two possible origins: 1) an Anglo-Saxon, Old English nickname for someone with grey hair or a grey beard, derived from the Old English pre 7th Century word "graeg", grey; 2) from the place called "Graye" in Calvados, Normandy, so called from the Old Gallo-Roman personal name "Gratus" meaning "Welcome" or "Pleasing", with the suffix "acum" meaning settlement or village.[7]

Trivia[]

References[]

  1. Age as of the end of Written in My Own Heart's Blood.
  2. Courtesy title only; appropriate to the younger son of a duke.
  3. Echo in the Bone, chapter 10
  4. Written in My Own Heart's Blood, chapter 12
  5. Echo in the Bone, chapter 10
  6. Behind the Name: Adam - accessed 03 June 2016
  7. The Internet Surname Database – accessed 19 June 2014
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