He was born in 1667, the son of Christopher Adam of Ranmash in the Country of York, he was apprenticed to Francis Archbold on 12th September 1682. Free, 11th March 1689 and entered his first mark as largeworker in February 1703. Address: Foster Lane. The entry is annotated “Left off” without a date, which suggests that he retired rather than died in business. Signatory as “working goldsmith” to the petition complaining of the competition of “necessitous strangers”, December 1711. It appears from the occurrence of his mark to have been specialised in caster making. His tombstone in Thornhill, Yorkshire, describes him as “Charles Adam late of London Citizen and  Goldsmith” 23rd August 1738 in his seventy -first year. Thomas Bamford, also castermaker, was apprenticed to Charles in 1703.