Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....May, Isaac (Sr.) 1820 - 

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Author: Biographical Publishing Co.



ISAAC MAY, Sr.,* a worthy and highly respected citizen of Shamokin, Coal

township. Pa., was born in Cornwall, England, March 18, 1820. His grandfather,

James May, lived and died in Cornwall, and his father, Joseph May, was reared

there also but immigrated to the United States in 1839, coming direct to the

coal regions of Pennsylvania, but removed to Canada in 1841, locating about

forty miles from Toronto in the county and township of Wilber. The remainder of

his life was passed in agricultural pursuits, his death occurring on his farm in

Canada. He married Anna George, also a native bf England, and their family

consisted of seven children, five sons and two daughters, namely: James, who

died in Schuylkill County, Pa.; William, who died at Mineral Point, Wis.; Isaac,

the subject of this sketch, and only surviving member of the family of children;

Joseph, who died in Wilber County, Canada; Thomas G., who died in Shamokin; Mary

Ann, who married William Luke and died in Canada in 1895; Elizabeth, who married

Welfield Lee and also died in Canada.



  Isaac May, Sr., had very little opportunity to obtain an education. His

parents were the owners of a little farm in Cornwall and he was put to the

necessity of helping maintain the family. He came with his parents to Schuylkill

County, Pa., and when they removed to Canada two years later, he remained in

that county, declaring he had come to the United States to live and would not

return to British soil. He engaged in mining in Schuylkill County for a period

of nine years, afterward serving as mine foreman for individual companies for

several years. He then went into business for himself, owning and operating a

mine at Middleport until 1853, when he located permanently in Shamokin. There he

opened up what is still known as Buck Ridge Colliery, and operated it nearly ten

years; prior to that it had been operated by May, Audenried & Co. He built the

breaker during the time he was connected with Buck Ridge Colliery and added to

it the Burnside Colliery, operating both together for six years, then selling

both of them to the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company in 1883. He then

went into Columbia County where, under the name of Isaac May & Co., he leased

and operated Morris Ridge Colliery for eight years, when he sold his interest in

the business and retired.



  In 1843 Mr. May was united in marriage with Mary Sterling, a daughter of John

Sterling, of Pottsville, formerly of Berks County. To them have been born

fourteen children, eleven of whom are still living: Maj. James Elizabeth, widow

of Henry W. Morgan, who now resides in Shamokin; Isaac, of Shamokin, formerly in

the mercantile business; Emma, widow of A. D. Allen, who also resides in the

borough of Shamokin; Mary Ida, wife of Jacob F. Graeber, who is now in the

Klondike region prospecting for gold; Joseph, deceased; Sarah Jane, wife of A.

A. Heizmanson; Sue, wife of W. W. Ryon; George; Carrie; and Laura, wife of

Daniel D. Driscoll, a bicycle manufacturer of Reading, Pa.



  Our subject's wife and family are members of St. Edward's Catholic Church, of

Shamokin, in which faith Mrs. May was born and reared. Mr. May is a devout

Christian gentleman, and a member of the M. E. Church. He is a progressive,

influential citizen and has identified himself with many Shamokin enterprises.

He was a director of the Northumberland County National Bank; president of the

Miner's Trust & Safe Deposit Company; one of the originators of the First

National Bank, and its second president and has served as director for many

years. In connection with the interest manifested by him in all of these

enterprises he has drawn freely on his own resources and done much in the way of

building up and improving the town and as a consequence is a large real estate

owner. He is a stanch out-spoken Republican and has served as overseer of the

poor for many years, and as supervisor of Coal township, which surrounds the

borough of Shamokin.







Additional Comments:

* The information contained in this biography was supplied by the subject of

this sketch. A type-set copy of the biography was sent to the subject to be

proof-read, but the subject did not edit and return the copy, so this biography

may contain typographical errors.



  Extracted from:

    

    Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District

    Published by 

    Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)





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