son of Benjamin Adams (15 Nov 1750-30 May 1843) of Sudbury and Elizabeth "Betsey" Adams (22 Jan 1757-28 Oct 1835) of Lincoln.

He graduated from Harvard College (A.B.) in 1805, and then studied law with Hon George Thacher of Biddeford and served as a family tutor in the home of George Thacher--preparing George Thacher Jr for college. He located for a short time, after his admission to the bar, in Buxton, ME. He soon removed to Gorham, where he remained until 1821, in which year he removed to Portland. He was a man who commanded much respect and confidence.
He was one of the delegates from this town [Gorham] to the Convention in Portland in 1819, at which the Constitution of the State [of Maine] was adopted. He was also for a term of years County Attorney.
* Representative at Massachusetts Legislature, 1819
* Maine Legislature, 1825
* Bowdoin College Overseer, 1817-19

Joseph Adams married twice.
m1 Sarah "Sally" Bigelow Thacher on 23/25 June 1810 in Biddeford, ME; intention filed on 9 Jun 1810; daughter of George Thacher and Sarah Savage
Children:
- Benjamin Pratt Adams (17 Mar 1812-31 Oct 1821)
- Sarah Thacher Adams (11 Dec 1813-8 Nov 1868) m John Quinby Day
- George Thacher Adams (9 Jan 1816-)*
- Elizabeth Adams (30 Apr 1819-6 Oct 1819)
At least two sources give the name of another child, a first-born daughter, Mary Haven Adams but no vital records have been found to substantiate this child.

m2 Sarah Tyler Bigelow on 2 Oct 1830 in Portland, ME; intention filed on 29 Sep 1830; daughter of Amos Bigelow and Lucy Savage

It should be noted that Joseph's wives were cousins (their mothers, Sarah and Lucy Savage, were sisters) with common grandparents of Samuel Phillips Savage and Sarah Tyler.

* According to Totten, George died in his youth away from home. Of him nothing was known by his living family connections (in 1913). The tradition is that he wanted to go to sea and his father not consenting, he ran away when he was 19 years old and was never heard from. "He was a very wild boy."

References:
- vital records
- General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine (1794-1912); compiled by Bowdoin College (1912)
- History of Gorham, Maine; by Hugh D McLellan, edited by Katharine B Lewis (1903)
- Antony Thacher 1588-1667 Yarmouth Branch Descendants, Thacher, Elwood James, (Thacher, Elwood James 1986), 85-52329 Lib Congress., p 349.
- Genealogy and Biographical Sketches of the Descendants of Thomas and Anthony Thacher; compiled by D.W. Allen (Independent Printing House, Vineland NJ, 1872), p 51.
- Thacher-Thatcher Genealogy Yarmouth Branch; compiled by John R Totten (New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, New York, 1910), pp. 300, 410-411.
- Major Thomas Savage of Boston and His Descendants By Lawrence Park (1914), p 26.
- The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volume 47
- Vital Records of Lincoln, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850; compiled by Lincoln (Mass.)
- Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Mass.., Volume 3; edited by William Richard Cutter (1908), p 1630
- A Genealogical History of Henry Adams, of Braintree, Mass., Volume 1; compiled by Andrew Napoleon Adams (1898), pages 553, 976
- Anthony Thacher, 1588-2667, Yarmouth Branch Descendants compiled by EJ Thacher (1986)

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There is some dispute whether Joseph Adams passed away in Portland, Cumberland, Maine rather than Providence, Providence, Rhode Island. Given the Rhode Island Death Index listing a Joseph Adams having passed away on 23 Aug 1850, the EXACT date stated by the City of Portland record of Joseph Adams' interment at Western Cemetery and also within one day of the death date indicated by the Portland City death record stating "Providence" as the place of death, this memorial indicates that he died in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island.

The Maine and Rhode Island vital records reinforce each other. Consequently, this memorial reflects Joseph's place of death as being Providence, Providence, Rhode Island.