Biographical Sketch of Addison MAY (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 533-5. "ADDISON MAY, the youngest son of Robert and Ruth (Potts) May, was born in South Coventry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1811. His father, Robert May, was of English ancestry, an ironmaster of large means, of fine business qualifications, and extensively engaged in business. He was owner of several iron works. He was highly esteemed by all who knew him, a man of fine presence and great dignity of character. He was an Episcopalian, and was accidentally killed by a fall from his horse, November 21, 1812. He was twice married, first to Rebecca Grace Potts, who died July 30, 1789. His second wife was Ruth Potts, a younger sister of Rebecca, and, after this marriage, he removed to Coventry vil- lage. "Ruth (Potts) May, the mother of Addison May, was a woman of refined and lovely character, an earnest Christian, and devoted to the interests of her family. She was the daughter of Col. Thomas and Anna (Nutt) Potts. Her father, Col. Thomas Potts, was one of the first men to develop the iron interests of Pennsylvania; and in 1757 married Anna, the only child of Rebecca Savage and Sir Samuel Nutt, Jr., an English baronet. He was a man of much intelligence and culture, was one of the original members of the American Philosophical society, had entertained Washington at his Pottstown residence, was elected a member of the assembly from Philadelphia county, in 1775, and was active in the cause of liberty. In 1776 he raised a battalion, of which he was commissioned colonel by congress, expending liberally of his large means to fill up his companies. he was a member of the convention assembled at the State house in Philadelphia, July 9, 1776 for the purpose of forming a new government. His devotions to the cause of colonial independence greatly impaired his fortune, and he died March 22, 1785, while attending the session of the legislature, of which he was a member. "This zealous and able patriot was the grandfather of Addison May, and from him and from his parents he inherited an abiding love of country and its highest good, and an intense aversion to injustice and wrong. "Addison May was born in the beautiful little valley of the French creek, in an old ancestral mansion, built, it is supposed, by Robert Grace, who had married the young and beautiful widow of Sir Samuel Nutt - for Thomas Potts, upon his marriage with Anna Nutt, the daughter of Mrs. Nutt, about the year 1757. He had the misfortune to lose his father, Robert May, when only a year old, and at seven years of age he lost his mother, and the home was broken up. His eldest sister, Eliza May, daughter of Robert May and his first wife, Rebecca Grace Potts, was married to Gov. Samuel Stevens, of Maryland. She was a woman of finely cultivated mind and heart, and took her young brothers to her home. Addison May attended a private school until he entered Jefferson college, Cannonsburg, in western Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated. He held a high rank at college as a student of the classics. One year after his graduation he entered the office of William H. Dillingham, of West Chester, and studied law. After being ad- mitted to the bar he settled in Erie, Pennsylvania, and began the practice of his profession. He married Elizabeth Shafer, youngest daughter of Hon. Samuel and Martha Bull Shafer, and then removed to Norristown, Pennsyl- vania, devoting himself to his profession and becoming a most successful lawyer. While in Norristown he interested himself in the cause of educa- tion, and served on the board of school directors. He early sympathized with the anti-slavery movement. In politics he was first a whig and afterward a republican. His health became broken down in Norristown, and at the same time Judge Shafer - his father-in-law - lost his wife, and at his solicitation Mr. and Mrs. May left Norristown and lived with Judge Shafer until his death, which occurred in 1856. He spent much time among his books and the study of botany. The people in the neighborhood came to him for legal advice, which was always willingly and gratuitously given. After Judge Shafer's death, Mr. May removed to West Chester in 1859. Here he remained during the rest of his life, interesting himself in public and philanthropic matters. He was school director for some years, then served for several years on the board of trustees of the State Normal school. He was appointed as a trustee of the State hospital for the insane at Norris- town, and strongly advocated the choice of a woman physician, to be put in charge of female patients, and Dr. Alice Bennett was chosen. He resigned this position at the solicitation of his family, in 1887. He was one of the organizers of the West Chester Trust and Relief society, and was presi- dent of the board until within two years of his death, when he resigned the office. He was for several years one of the inspectors of the Chester county prison. In addition to these public trusts, so well known was his character for strict integrity and kindness, that he was frequently asked to accept private trusts as a guardian of orphans and the property of widows. He was very social in his nature, his friends were always sure of a courteous welcome; and the youngest child who came to the house was as sure of a courteous welcome; and the youngest child who came to the house was as sure of courteous attention as the oldest of his guests. He was a man of broad culture and of extensive reading. He rarely read a transla- tion of a Latin author, preferring to read the works in the original. He was for many years a vestryman of the Church of the Holy Trinity, West Chester, and when the new church was built he was treasurer of the build- ing fund, and contributed generously to its erection. "In April, 1878, he had the great misfortune to lose his wife. Mrs. May was a woman of benevolent character. She was very retiring in disposition, devotedly attached to her family and her home. Mr. and Mrs. May had only one child, a daughter, Martha E., who married, in 1869, to Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock, of whom notice will be found in this volume. "Mr. May was the last survivor of the eight children of Robert May. His oldest sister, Eliza May, wife of Gov. Samuel Stevens, of Maryland, died at Compton, Talbot county, Maryland, December 8, 1834. His second sister, Anna Nutt May, was married to the Hon. David Potts. She died at Coventry, March 17, 1823. His oldest brother, Thomas Potts May, was rector of St. John's church, Norristown, and St. Thomas' church, Montgomery county. He died of yellow fever in 1819. "Dr. Robert May was the second brother of Addison May, was graduated from the medical department of the university of Pennsylvania in 1822, and died in 1866. "The Rev. James May, D. D., was the fourth son of Robert May - the third son having died in infancy. He was born in 1805, and was graduated from Jefferson college, Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1823. He entered the Theological seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, in October, 1825, but soon found it necessary to remove to Philadelphia to study more immediately under the direction of the ecclesiastical authorities. He was called to St. Stephen's church, Wilkes-Barre, and two years afterward married Ellen Stuart Bowman, daughter of Captain Samuel Bowman, and a sister of the right reverend Samuel Bowman, of this State. In 1836 Mr. May accepted a call to the rectorship of St. Paul's church, Philadelphia, and in February, 1837, 'added to his arduous pastoral labors the editorship of the Episcopal Recorder.' His health failed, and he made a trip to Europe and Africa. In 1840 he accepted the professorship of church history in the Theological seminary at Alexandria, Virginia, where he remained until 1861, when he came to Philadelphia, and accepted the same position in the Divinity school of that city, but refused to succeed his brother-in-law, right reverend Samuel Bowman, as assistant Bishop of Pennsylvania. In 1863 he published a reply to Bishop Hopkins' 'Bible View of Slavery.' It was a clear, calm, forcible review, and went more deeply into the heart of the whole matter than anything else then published. On December 18, 1863, he entered into life eternal. 'Dear Mr. May,' was the testimony of one who knew him well, 'seemed to me more holy than any one I ever knew.' "Mr. May's fifth brother was Newton May, M. D., born December 26, 1807. He was a graduate of Jefferson college and the university of Pennsylvania. In 1837 he settled in Holmesburg, and practiced until his death in 1889. He was a thoroughly educated allopathic physician, but afterward took up homeopathy. "Mr. Addison May's brothers all attained to eminence in the professions they followed. His last illness was an extremely painful one, but all suffering was borne with that beautiful patience and resignation which were such marked traits of his character. After intense suffering he entered into rest on January 8, 1892."