Person:John May (16)

John May married Abigail May, his first cousin, once removed. (His father, Eleazar, was the uncle of Abigail's father, Samuel.)

From: Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines Vol i & 2

"Col John May, born in Pomfret, CT in 1748 was a colorful figure. He came to Boston as a youth, took part in the Boston Tea party on Dec 16, 1773, when the rebels emptied 342 chests of tea into the sea from Griffith's Wharf and served in the Revolution." p. 423 -----------------------------------------------------

From: NEHGR Vol 27, pa 15

LETTERS AND JOURNAL OF COL. JOHN MAY OF BOSTON "In a letter form Gov. Bowdoin to Gen. Washington, dated April 2, 1788, apparently one of introduction, the former writes of Col. May: ' He distinguished himself in the service of the United States at Rhode Island, under the Count de Rochambea;' and remarks further: 'By his exertions the Boston Reg't of Militia, of which he is Colonel, is esteemed in regard to appearance and discipline at least equal to any reiment of militia on the continent." ------------------------ Excerpt from "Tea Leaves Being a Collection of Letters and Documents relating to the shipment of Tea to the American Colonies in the year 1773, by the East India Tea Company. (With an introduction, notes, and biographical notices of the Boston Tea Party) Downloaded on 24 Nov 2008 [1]

Source S2
"COLONEL JOHN MAY,

Born in Boston [Pomfret CT], November 24, 1748, died July 16, 1812. On the afternoon of December 16, 1773, he went in haste to his home, on North Square, and said to his young wife, "Nabby, let me have a beefsteak as quickly as possible." While he was eating it, a rap was heard on the window, and he rose at once from the unfinished meal and departed. He returned late, tired and uncommunicative. In the morning, there was found in his shoes, and scattered upon the floor, a quantity of _tea_. The inevitable inference from these circumstances is strengthened by evidence of a very different character. Near the close of Major Melvill's life, he gave, while dining with a few friends, some anecdotes of the tea party, and turning to Henry Knox May, the son of Colonel May, he said, "Harry, there was one John there." The son, who knew the family tradition, was eager to learn more. "Not now, Harry," said the major, "Come and see me, and I will tell you all about it." Mr. May called repeatedly upon him, but could never obtain any further satisfaction respecting the object of his inquiry. Colonel May was a man of great energy and courage, an ardent patriot, and one not likely to be overlooked in the making-up of a company of picked men for such an enterprise. He was at one time colonel of the Boston regiment, and was for many years a selectman, and a firewarden of the town. He made a journey of exploration to the Ohio region, in 1788 and 1789, an account of which has been published. Two sons, Frederick and George Washington May, were skilful physicians, in Washington, D.C. He has numerous grandchildren living, among them Prof. Edward Tuckerman, of Amherst College, and Samuel P. Tuckerman, Mus. Doc., resident in England."

1. ↑ Pomfret Vital Records, in Connecticut, United States. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records
   v.1 p.21.

   MAY, John, s. Eleazer & Dorothy, b. Nov. 24, 1748

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Fiske, John, and James Grant Wilson. Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography. (New York, NY: D. Appleton, 1898-99)
   p.272.

   See Personal History