Henry John May

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.

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

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.

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. 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.

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."

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

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.

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

• The National Archives. ADM 196/86.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/39.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/18.

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