Jill Adams

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L-R: Jill Adams, Shel Deretchin, Dave Cohen at the Loncon I. Photo Pete West, courtesy Rob Hansen.

(July 31, 1933 – 1980)

Gillian T. "Jill" Adams was a fan from Southampton, UK, active from 1957 into the 1970s and perhaps even her untimely death. She was a founding member and long-time Treasurer of the BSFA and a member of the London Circle.

Adams was a native East Londoner, and her first convention was the 1957 Loncon. In "Who's Who in British Fandom Number Five" (Skyrack 61, December 1963) Archie Mercer recalled how she made an impression as "a girl … apparently being able to go without sleep altogether for several nights on the trot and still look just as fresh as at the beginning". Mercer and Norm Shorrock described as being one of those people who stay in the background and work hard to keep things running.

Adams was one of 10 Eastercon first-timers at Cytricon IV in 1958; Ron Bennett called her "heroine of the … brag party in room 12"[1] and even in 1963 Mercer made hints about her partying ability and inclination. More seriously, the 1958 convention hosted the meeting that led to the formation of the BSFA. Adams was a founder member (number 12).

Her first name was Gillian rather than Jillian, although shortened to Jill (some misspellings as "Gill" also occur). Her husband, John, was occasionally mentioned in fanzines but wasn't a fan. He was transferred to Southampton in early 1959[2] and the family (including a young daughter) moved there. Still, Adams managed to attend "approximately every other" convention. She was also a part, if not the head, of the welcoming party for Bruce Burn when he arrived by ship from New Zealand in August 1960. Mercer described her as a housewife, which apparently left her enough time for fanac by correspondence. At the 1962 Ronvention she worked the registration desk and won one of the fancy dress party awards as Angel.

Adams ran for BSFA Vice-Chairman in 1961 but was defeated by Terry Jeeves.[3] She became the Treasurer in 1962[4] and held this role to general praise until the BSFA's collapse (in fact, it was Adams who suggested "that the Company be wound up" in 1973[5]) and resurrection. At the Council meeting at Novacon 5 in October 1975, Keith Freeman took over after Adams (who wasn't present) "retired with official Council appreciation for having extended her term of office in the emergency".[6] Adams was listed among the BSFA's thirteen Council Members in Vector 69 (Summer 1975), while she still was also "Treasurer (pro tem)", and 70 (dated Autumn but finished in late October) when Freeman replaced her, but she disappeared from the 71 (December). There seems to be no explanation of this in Vector or Matrix – possibly it just took some time to realise the extent of her resignation or update the colophon?

In 1962 Archie Mercer handed Adams the £15 15s 10d in the Doc Weir Memorial Fund[7] after the Annual General Meeting voted to use it for launching the Doc Weir Award. She bought a silver communion cup from a shop in Southampton, which was first presented in 1963. Adams herself won the Award in 1972. In Viewpoint 8 (October 1972) Pauline Dungate noted Adams drinking deeply from her trophy which contained rum and coke: "She chokes and gazes into the half full vessel. 'The barman's forgotten the coke.'"

At Yarcon in 1966 the BSFA AGM voted to formally separate the Eastercon from the Association. Adams and Dave Barber became permanent trustees charged with preserving Convention continuity from year to year. It's unclear how long this role lasted. The May 1969 BSFA committee minutes mention, in the context of the upcoming SCI-CON 70 and subsidising a discount for BSFAns, that the two were holding some kind of "Trust Fund" and were asked to transfer it "to the general funds of the B.S.F.A. Limited."[8]

Awards, Honors and GoHships:

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  1. ↑ Skyrack 2. As con reports make clearer, brag here means a British bluffing card game, predecessor of poker.
  2. ↑ Adams's address in the 1958 Directory of SF Fandom from early 1959 is in Romford (then in Essex just east of London). A CoA to Southampton appeared in Skyrack 2 (May 1, 1959).
  3. ↑ Skyrack 31 (April 6, 1961).
  4. ↑ In a letter in Mimosa 13 Jeeves said she was the Secretary around that time but this must be a misremembering.
  5. ↑ Spi 2 (March 1975) as quoted in Then 4.2, The Mid 1970s.
  6. ↑ BSFA Newsletter (new series, soon to be renamed Matrix) 4, February 1976, Vice-Chairman's report at p. 20.
  7. ↑ Mercer wrote in a 1967 memo it was "a hangover from my former position of B.S.F.A. Treasurer". However, she didn't replace him directly as Skyrack 42 noted "Jill Adams took over as Treasurer from Ted Forsyth" and issue 31 the previous year earlier asked that donations to Dr. Arthur Weir Memorial Fund "should be sent to the retiring Treasurer, Archie Mercer."
  8. ↑ BSFA committee minutes, May 25, 1969 (PDF)
Person 1933—1980
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