Henry John May

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Rear-Admiral Henry J. May, C.B.
Photograph: Navy & Army Illustrated.

Rear-Admiral Henry John May, C.B., Royal Navy (20 February, 1853 – 24 April, 1904) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Henry John May was born on 20 February, 1853, the second son of the Reverend Henry Thomas May, vicar of South Petheryn, Cornwall.

May was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 December, 187, winning the Beaufort Testimonial for that year on the basis of his superlative navigation and pilotage marks.[1]

On 7 August 1882 he was specially promoted to the rank of Commander, dated 11 July.[2]

In October 1888, he was sent to hospital in Cairo with a fever.

Captain

May was promoted to the rank of Captain on 16 January, 1889, for service in connection with operations at Suakin. He was reported fit for active service on 14 May. On 6 October he was appointed a member of the Ordnance Committee. He was appointed to the Admiralty as Inspector of Warlike Stores on 6 May, 1890. May was nominated to serve on a Committee on Ships Complements on 2 May, 1891. On the occasion of the Queen's birthday May was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 25 May, 1892.[3]

On 10 October, 1892, he was appointed in command of the corvette Hyacinth on the Pacific Station. He paid her off into E Division of the Devonport Reserve on 2 April, 1896.[4] From 15 April to 27 May he was appointed to Excellent for a G course. He was appointed a Member of the Ordnance Committee again on 28 May, and on 26 November became senior naval member on the committee.

On 30 July, 1898 he was appointed as senior naval member of a committee for consideration of a new pattern of naval cutlass.[5]

On 17 November, 1898, May gave a lecture at the R.E. Institute, Chatham, on "The Lessons of the War of 1898 in their Bearing on the Influence of Naval Armaments as Opposed to Coast Defence."[6]

He was appointed in command of the battleship Mars on 5 January, 1899.[7]

Royal Naval College

May was appointed to President, additional, for the Royal Naval College, Greenwich on 18 September, 1900. He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral dated 22 September, 1902.[8]

May died at Greenwich on 24 April, 1904, from gastro-enteritis.

Bibliography

  • "Rear-Admiral H. J. May, C.B." (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 26 April, 1904. Issue 37378, col D, p. 10.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Major C. H. Ellis, R.A.
Assistant Secretary to the Ordnance Committee
27 Sep, 1882[9]
Succeeded by
Frank C. Younghusband
Preceded by
Arthur G. Fullerton
Captain of H.M.S. Racer
10 Oct, 1887[10] – 10 May, 1889
Succeeded by
Henry L. F. Royle
Preceded by
Archibald L. Douglas
Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee
6 Oct, 1889[11]
Succeeded by
Robert B. Maconochie
Preceded by
?
Inspector of Warlike Stores
6 May, 1890[12]
Succeeded by
Randolph F. O. Foote
Preceded by
Robert W. Craigie
Captain of H.M.S. Hyacinth
10 Oct, 1892[13] – 2 Apr, 1896[14]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Alfred A. C. Parr
Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee
28 May, 1896[15]
Succeeded by
John R. Jellicoe
Preceded by
Francis Powell
Captain of H.M.S. Mars
5 Jan, 1899[16] – 18 Sep, 1900[17][18]
Succeeded by
Henry D. Barry
Preceded by
Spencer H. M. Login
Captain of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
18 Sep, 1900[19]
Succeeded by
Edmond J. W. Slade
Preceded by
?
In Command of the War Course College
18 Sep, 1900[20]
Succeeded by
Edmond J. W. Slade
as Captain of the War Course College

 

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 23933. p. 6509. 31 December, 1872.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 25136. p. 3689. 8 August, 1882.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 26291. p. 3137. 25 May, 1892.
  4. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/18. f. 401.
  5. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 858.
  6. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 15 October, 1898. Issue 35648, col A, p. 12.
  7. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 858.
  8. The London Gazette: no. 27481. p. 6409. 10 October, 1902.
  9. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 862.
  10. The Navy List. (February, 1888). p. 224.
  11. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 862.
  12. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39/114.
  13. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/18. f. 401.
  14. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/18. f. 401.
  15. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 858.
  16. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 858.
  17. The Navy List. (January, 1901). p. 278.
  18. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 858.
  19. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 858.
  20. May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39/131.