William Adams, whose Japanese name was Miura Anjin, is probably better known in Japan than in his native country of England. Born in Gillingham, Adams was baptised at Gillingham Parish Church on 24th September 1564. From an early age, he was fascinated by ships and the sea and, in 1588, he joined the Royal Navy, serving under Sir Francis Drake during the war with Spain.

At the end of the war, Adams retired from the Royal Navy and married Mary Hyn with whom he had two children. In 1598 he moved to Holland and was chosen as Pilot Major for a fleet of ships assembled for an expedition to the Far East. After a hazardous voyage from West Africa, his ship, 'Hope', went aground on the Island of Kyushu in 1600.

To the Japanese, who only had small vessels, 'Hope' seemed huge. William Adams and his crew were taken to the court of the Shogun, Iyeyasu Tokugawa. Iyeyasu was impressed by Adams, so much so that he appointed him as a diplomatic advisor and gave him a house in Edo (present day Tokyo).

William Adams made frequent requests to be allowed to return home to his family but these requests were always refused as he had become so valuable. Consequently, he arranged through contact with the East India Company for regular payments to be made to his wife, Mary, in England. He subsequently married a Japanese woman, Oyuki Magome, daughter of a minor official at Edo castle. It proved to be a happy marriage which was blessed with two children.

On 11th June 1613 an English mission commanded by Captain John Saris representing the East India company arrived and after negotiations by Adams, Iyeyasu and the then Shogun, Hidetada Tokugawa, granted trading privileges to the English.

On 16th May 1620, William Adams died at the age of 55. In his will, he divided his considerable wealth equally between his families in Japan and England.

The William Adams festival in Gillingham, Kent

William Adams was baptised in St. Mary's Church in Gillingham which is always a must see destination when we receive guests from our partner cities in Japan - Ito and Yokosuka. Medway has an active Japan Group as part of our Medway International Relations Committee who organise our annual student exchange scheme between our cities.

Since 2000, there has been a festival each September to celebrate the culture and traditions of Japan through displays and workshops.

Activities include face painting, martial arts demonstrations, traditional Japanese dancing, story telling and arts and crafts stalls.

The 2010 festival will take place on Saturday, 11 September at Gillingham Park, off Canterbury Street, Gillingham, Kent, from 11am to 4.30pm. For more details visit www.whatsonmedway.co.uk

.

Ashley Davis