William Patrick Adam, Sir William Patrick Adam, CIE, DL, served as the acting Governor of Madras Presidency from the year 1880 to1881 under the administration of the British Empire in undivided India. He was also a well known Liberal politician and a British colonial administrator. He later acted as the First Commissioner of Works under William Ewart Gladstone for 2 terms. He was knighted with Companion of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (CIE).

Early Life of William Patrick Adam
William Patrick Adam was born on 14 September 1823 to the parents Admiral Sir Charles Adam and Elizabeth Brydone. John Adam and Sir Frederick Adam were his uncles. William Patrick successfully completed his education from the Rugby School in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. He later studied at the Trinity College in Cambridge. Adam was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, in the year 1849.

Career of William Patrick Adam
Sir William Patrick Adam, CIE, DL acted as the secretary to Lord Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay, from the year 1853 to 1858. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Clackmannan and Kinross in 1859 and he held the seat till the year 1880. He also served as a Lord of the Treasury under Lord Palmerston and Lord Russell from the year 1865 to 1866 and later under William Ewart Gladstone from the year 1868 to 1873. Adam was sworn of the Privy Council in August 1873 and became First Commissioner of Works, appointed by Gladstone. Later he was granted the additional post of Paymaster General. William Patrick Adam held both offices until the decline of the Gladstone government in the year 1874. After the Liberals came back to power under Gladstone in May 1880, Adam was again appointed as First Commissioner of Works.

Sir William Patrick Adam, CIE, DL was appointed as the Governor of Madras Presidency on 20 December 1880. The Madras Presidency, also known as the Presidency of Fort St. George and Madras Province, was an administrative sub division of British dominated India. The territory included most of southern India, such as the modern states of Tamil Nadu, the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep Islands, the Malabar region of North Kerala, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangapur and Gajapati districts of southern Orissa and the Bellary, Ganjam, Dakshina Kannada, Rayagada and Udupi districts of Karnataka. He served in office till 24 May 1881, when he died. William Patrick Adam was succeeded by William Huddleston as the Acting Governor of Madras Presidency.

Personal Life of William Patrick Adam
William Patrick Adam was married with Emily, who was the daughter of General Sir William Wyllie, in the year 1856. The couple had many children. Sir William Patrick Adam, CIE, DL wrote the book "Thoughts on Policy of Retaliation" Adam died at the age of 57 years, on 24 May 1881 in Ooty, British India. His wife Emily was awarded the Order of the Crown of India in October 1881.