Adamah Family Papers

This collection of papers reflects the history of the Adamah family from 1858, mainly through the correspondence of one person Fia King Togbui Adamah II. He was born Sampson Semaxa Paul in 1863 in the Anlo district. His father Paul Atsu hailed from the Royal House of Some being the direct descendent of Fiaga Adamah I of the Some state. According to the eulogy of his life held in the National Archives of Ghana in Accra, he stowed away on a British ship at the age of 15 around 1878. The Captain decided to take him to Britain after seeing his music ability, whereupon arrival he presented him at the court of Queen Victoria. One of her ladies in waiting Florence, provided him with early literary education, whereupon he was drafted to Netherall to learn music as a military bandsman. He became part of the Queen's own regiment of Guards and took part in campaigns in Southern and Northern Nigeria. He was asked to become King after his uncle died whereupon he retired and arrived at Agbozume in December 1915. He ruled the Ewe nation in the Keta area, despite a number of attempts to de-stool him, until his death in 14 January 1963.



The papers reveal family life through personal correspondence and genealogical information, and the interactions with the British governance. There is interesting correspondence and other documents surrounding the organisation and development of the local school as well as the development of the Keta coastal area of what is now Ghana in West Africa.