William Davidson Adam was born at Wick, Caithness, Scotland on 28 March 1861 to Thomas Adam and Jane Amos Davidson.

Adam's military career was spent entirely with the Artillery Volunteers and he was appointed Lieutenant with the 1st Caithness Artillery Volunteers on 9 December 1882. His promotions and appointments followed:

Captain - 22 November 1890
Transferred as Captain to 1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers - 28 March 1894
Honorary Major - 3 April 1897
Resigns his commission with permission to wear the prescribed uniform - 21 January 1905
Temporary Captain, City of Aberdeen Volunteer Garrison Artillery - 6 May 1918
Relinquishes commission - 11 October 1919
Honorary Captain - 11 October 1919

He was presented with the Volunteer Officers Decoration on 5 March 1901.

William Davidson Adam married Agnes Frances Breton Buchan on 23 June 1896 at Sterling. The couple had a least two children: William Ernest Adam (b. 1898) and Nora Adam (b. 1904). In the 1891 Scotland Census for Aberdeen William Adam was listed as being employed as a bank clerk. He was employed in the banking profession - while not volunteer soldiering - all of his life. William Davidson Adam passed away at the age of 68 at his home in Aberdeen on 17 September 1930, leaving a substantial estate valued at £17,092 to his widow.

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Cabinet Photograph
John B. Russell - Photographer
Kirkwall & Thurso, Scotland
c. 1885